Game

Tic-tac-toe

Alignment and Abstract Strategy Games

Tic-tac-toe is a two-player paper-and-pencil or grid game played on a three-by-three grid, in which players alternate marking the letter X or the letter O in empty squares and try to be the first to place three of their own marks in a row, column or diagonal. Games of this simple alignment-and-blocking type have ancient roots, including a version played in Roman times called terni lapilli, and the modern grid-and-symbol form became widespread in English-speaking countries in the nineteenth century. With perfect play by both sides the game always ends in a draw, and it is commonly used to introduce children to basic game strategy.

Facts
Origin Year
2011 2
Game Type
Paper-and-pencil game 1
Playing Time Band
Under 30 Minutes 1
Playing Time
1 2
Skill or Luck
Skill 1
Designer
(Uncredited) 2
Publisher
(Public Domain) 2
Publisher
(Self-Published) 2
Publisher
(Unknown) 2
Publisher
ABRA 2
Publisher
Adrenaline Brush Ltd 2
Publisher
Alox Manufacturing Company 2
Publisher
Cardinal 2
Publisher
Cayro, The Games 2
Publisher
CHH Games 2
Publisher
Coca-Cola 2
Publisher
Creative Crafthouse 2
Publisher
Dilemma Games 2
Publisher
Efteling 2
Publisher
Fame Products 2
Publisher
FridgePlay 2
Publisher
Giftco, Inc 2
Publisher
HABA 2
Publisher
Hasbro 2
Publisher
Hearth & Hand with Magnolia 2
Publisher
Hexagames (I) 2
Game Category
Abstract Strategy 2
Game Category
Children's Game 2
Game Mechanic
Paper-and-Pencil 2
Game Mechanic
Pattern Building 2
Game Mechanic
Square Grid 2
Minimum Players
2 2
Maximum Players
2 2
Partially Attested
Originating Region
Roman Empire 1
Only an early variation, terni lapilli, is documented from the Roman Empire; three-in-a-row boards are traced separately to ancient Egypt around 1300 BC, so the modern game has no single settled point of origin.
Classification
Player Count
Two-Player 1
Wikipedia infobox (Tic-tac-toe) players field: '2'
Connections

Ancestor Of

Order and Chaos, Games
Source Order and Chaos (Wikipedia)
Source Ultimate tic-tac-toe (Wikipedia)

Associated With

Connect Four, Games

Connect Four and tic-tac-toe both belong to the broader family of grid-based alignment games, in which players win by placing a run of their own marks or pieces in a row, though Connect Four was not directly derived from tic-tac-toe.

Source The Oxford History of Board Games
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Digital Ludeme Project: Tic-tac-toe (Ludii Portal)Region
Quote, Region
Region Northern America
Sources
1. Tic-tac-toe, Wikipedia
  • Lead section
    a paper-and-pencil game for two players who take turns marking the spaces in a three-by-three grid
  • History section, second paragraph
    An early variation of tic-tac-toe was played in the Roman Empire, around the first century BC.
  • Infobox: random_chance
    None
  • Infobox: playing_time
    ~1 minute
  • Infobox, players field
    2
  • entity record, description lead (player-count)
    Tic-tac-toe is a two-player paper-and-pencil or grid game played on a three-by-three grid, in which players alternate marking the letter X or the letter O in empty squares and try to be the first to place three of their own marks in a row, column or diagonal. Games of this simple alignment-and-blocking type have ancient roots, including a version played in Roman times called terni lapill
View the Source
2. Tic Tac Toe (BoardGameGeek)
  • Origin Year: 2011
  • Playing Time: 1
  • Designer: (Uncredited)
  • Publisher: (Public Domain)
  • Publisher: (Self-Published)
  • Publisher: (Unknown)
  • Publisher: ABRA
  • Publisher: Adrenaline Brush Ltd
  • Publisher: Alox Manufacturing Company
  • Publisher: Cardinal
  • Publisher: Cayro, The Games
  • Publisher: CHH Games
  • Publisher: Coca-Cola
  • Publisher: Creative Crafthouse
  • Publisher: Dilemma Games
  • Publisher: Efteling
  • Publisher: Fame Products
  • Publisher: FridgePlay
  • Publisher: Giftco, Inc
  • Publisher: HABA
  • Publisher: Hasbro
  • Publisher: Hearth & Hand with Magnolia
  • Publisher: Hexagames (I)
  • Game Category: Abstract Strategy
  • Game Category: Children's Game
  • Game Mechanic: Paper-and-Pencil
  • Game Mechanic: Pattern Building
  • Game Mechanic: Square Grid
  • Minimum Players: 2
  • Maximum Players: 2
View the Source
The Oxford History of Board Games
Oxford University Press, 1999Associated With: Connect Four
Ultimate tic-tac-toe (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Ultimate tic-tac-toe, Gameplay
Quote, Ancestor Of: Ultimate tic-tac-toe, Gameplay
significantly more complex than most other variations of tic-tac-toe
View the Source
Order and Chaos (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Order and Chaos, Lead [derived-from]
Quote, Ancestor Of: Order and Chaos, Lead [derived-from]
Order and Chaos is a variant of the game tic-tac-toe
View the Source

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