Dotty: Dots and Boxes Game with a Die Online
Roll the die, draw that many lines, and close boxes in your colour. Most boxes wins.
Strategy · 2 to 4 players · about 8 minutes · free to host, nothing to download, TV optional
About the game
Dots and boxes, the pencil game from the back of a school exercise book, with one twist: a die. In Dotty you roll, then draw exactly that many lines, so you cannot always stop at a safe one. It takes 2 to 4 players, and a game on the default 5 by 5 board lasts around eight minutes.
Everyone sees the same board, so it works on a TV for a room, or with "Just this screen" on each device for a video call. The rules take a minute to explain, which makes it an easy pick when children and grandparents share a table.
How to play
- Take turns round the table. On your turn, roll the die, then draw that many lines, one at a time.
- A line joins two dots side by side, across or down. Press a gap between two dots on your screen and let go to draw it. Every line is final.
- Draw the fourth side of a box to claim it in your colour. Closing a box gives no extra line. If fewer lines are left than you rolled, draw what is left.
- When every line is drawn, most boxes wins, and a tie shares the win. Out of time? A random line is drawn for you.
Open a room for Dotty. No app, no accounts, free to host.
Tips to play well
- The die decides the endgame. A small roll late on lets you draw one or two safe lines; a big roll can force you to hand over the third side of a box. Count the safe lines left before you get there.
- Closing a box does not give you an extra line, so a long open chain is not taken in one go. You take as many boxes as your roll allows and the next player may finish it.
- A third side is only dangerous on your last line of the turn. With more lines to come, you can open a box and close it yourself straight after.
- Each line has its own clock, 30 seconds by default. Run out and a random free line is drawn for you, which is rarely the one you wanted.
Host settings
- Board: 5 by 5 dots (16 boxes and 40 lines, the default) or 6 by 6 dots (25 boxes and 60 lines, a longer game).
- Seconds a line: 15 to 60 in steps of 5, default 30. It also times the roll: out of time before rolling, the die rolls itself.
Questions people ask
How is Dotty different from ordinary dots and boxes?
You roll a die and must draw that many lines, and closing a box does not earn another line. If fewer lines are left than you rolled, you draw what is left.
Who goes first?
A random player, not always the host. After that, turns go round the table.
Can we add computer players?
Yes, up to the 4-player limit. Bots close boxes when they can and try not to leave a third side open with their last line of a turn.
How long does a game take?
About eight minutes on 5 by 5. The 6 by 6 board has half as many lines again, so allow longer.
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Guides
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