Dots and Boxes is the game many of us played in the back of a school notebook, known in Persian as Noghteh-Khat. Two players take turns drawing a line between neighbouring dots. Close the fourth side of a box and it is yours, and you draw again. The opening feels like luck, but the endgame is all about counting chains and knowing when to give boxes away.
In Hamdor you can play Dots and Boxes online against real players, play a friend in a private room with a code, practise offline against a bot, or play two on one phone. No paper or pen needed.
How to play Dots and Boxes
- Take turns drawing a line between neighboring dots. Close a box's fourth side to claim it and draw again.
These are the exact rules Hamdor plays by; the app shows them too, under each game's How to play tab.
Dots and Boxes in Hamdor
- 5 by 5 board: six rows of six dots, so 25 boxes to fight over.
- Close a box, go again: completing one or two boxes with a line claims them and gives you another line.
- No draws: with an odd number of boxes, someone always has more.
- Random first move: the starting player is drawn at random.
- Bots and two on one phone: play offline against a bot at several levels, or with a friend on the same phone.
Tips to win at Dots and Boxes
- Never draw the third side. A line that gives a box its third side hands that box to your opponent. Play lines that leave no box with three sides for as long as you can.
- Count the chains. By the middle game the board splits into chains of boxes. Whoever is forced to open the first long chain usually loses, so start counting early.
- Give back the last two. When your opponent opens a chain for you, don't take it all: leave the last two boxes with one line between them. They take two, but then must open the next chain for you.
- Give away short chains first. If you must give something, give one or two boxes rather than a long chain; a short chain doesn't allow the two-box sacrifice.
- Start on the edges. A line on the edge of the board touches only one box, not two, so it is a safe early move.
- Remember 13. There are 25 boxes, so 13 wins. Sometimes giving away a few boxes is worth it to take a big chain.
Dots and Boxes in Hamdor
- Online, ranked: play real opponents and earn a rating. If nobody turns up within a few seconds, a bot takes the seat and is labelled as a bot.
- Private rooms: create a room, send the code to your friends and chat with stickers and reactions while you play.
- Bots: play offline against bots, to practise or when nobody is online.
- Two on one phone: pass the phone and play face to face.
- Stats and streaks: your win rate, best winning streak and this game's leaderboard.
- Your own look: change how the table and pieces look in the Hamdor shop. It is cosmetic only and never affects who wins.
Dots and Boxes FAQ
How do you play Dots and Boxes?
Take turns drawing a horizontal or vertical line between two neighbouring dots. Close the fourth side of a box to claim it and draw again. Most boxes at the end wins.
How big is the board in Hamdor?
5 by 5 boxes, which is six rows of six dots.
Can Dots and Boxes end in a draw?
Not in Hamdor. There are 25 boxes, an odd number, so one player always has more.
Can I play Dots and Boxes offline?
Yes. Play a bot or a friend on the same phone without a connection. Like every Hamdor game, it is free.