Dots & Boxes

Controls Goal: on a 5x5 box board, take turns with the computer drawing lines between dots and claim more boxes than it does (you go first). Making boxes: drawing the fourth side of a box makes it yours (a dot) and you draw once more; one line can close two boxes at once. Controls: with mouse or touch tap a line between dots (the tappable area around each line is generous). On a keyboard move between lines with Tab and draw with Enter or Space. Input is locked during the computer's turn. Score and ranking: when all lines are drawn, whoever has more boxes wins, and the box difference of a winning game (your boxes minus the computer's, at most 25) is the score, higher ranks higher. A lost game ends without a score (with 25 boxes there is no draw). Tip: drawing the third side of a box lets your opponent take it, so be careful. When safe lines run out, whoever has to open a long chain usually loses - save safe lines for last and give away short chains first. The computer closes boxes first and plays safe lines.