If you’re tired of the same old tic tac toe, it’s time to level up and learn how to play Ultimate Tic Tac Toe.

Ultimate Tic Tac Toe takes everything you know about the classic game and adds a genius twist that makes it more strategic, more competitive, and way more fun.

This pen and paper game is perfect for kids, teens, and adults who want a quick game that’s still packed with strategy—and all you need is a pen and a piece of paper!

Need some supplies? Here are the notebooks I love keeping in my purse and car to play these games and my favorite pens and highlighters to use when playing!

What You’ll Need

Paper
Pen (or pencil)
Two Players

Set Up the Game

Start by drawing a 3×3 grid of tic tac toe boards. That’s 9 small boards total! Each of these mini boards represents a space on one giant tic tac toe board.

How to Play Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe

The goal is still to get three in a row — but now you’re doing it twice. Once on the small boards, and again across the big board made up of the small boards!

How it Works

Player 1 goes first and can place their X or O in any space on any of the 9 boards.

The space they choose determines which tic tac toe board Player 2 must play in on their turn.

Example: If Player 1 marks and X in the top right corner of any board, Player 2 must take their turn by playing in the tic tac toe board in the top right corner of the grid of boards. If Player 2 then places an O in the middle space of this tic tac toe board, then Player 1 must take their turn by playing in the center tic tac toe board. And so on and so forth.

Each player takes turns placing their mark on the appropriate board, guided by the previous players move.

When a player wins on a small board by getting three in a row, they mark the entire mini board as theirs. Once a board is won, it is closed to future moves.

If you’re sent to a board that’s already won or full (cats game,) you get a free play and can choose any open board for your next move.

How to Win

The first player to win three small boards in a row, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, wins the whole game.

Visual Learner? Watch our video on how to play!

Strategy Tips

Ultimate Tic Tac Toe is all about thinking ahead. You’ll need to:

Set yourself up to win on multiple boards
Plan your opponent’s move so they are forced to send you to a board you are poised to win
Pay attention to where you’re sending your opponent — sometimes its better to wait to win on a board if doing so would send your opponent to a win themselves.

Patience and tactics are key!

Short on Time?

Try Epic Tic-Tac-Toe instead. Set up the game the same way and follow all the rules, but this time, the first player to get three in a row on any of the Tic-Tac-Toe boards is the winner!

Ultimate Tic Tac Toe is just one of the easy and fun games in our Paper and Pen Games series.
If you’re looking for more ways to connect and play check out the full list of games!

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Easy Paper and Pen Games
Easy Dice Games
Playing Card Games Series