Dots and Boxes rules

Learn with Juno

Rules of Dots and Boxes

Draw one line between two neighboring dots on your turn. Close the fourth side of a box to claim it, and keep drawing for as long as you keep scoring.

The objective: Claim more boxes than your opponent.

Juno points with her bionic hand to show where a rail goes.

Start with a grid of dots

The LarkSpark board has 36 dots in a square, which makes room for 25 boxes.

Blue always goes first. On your turn, you draw one line between two dots that sit right next to each other.

An empty board, with a first line ready to be drawn.

One line, across or up and down

A line connects two neighboring dots horizontally or vertically. Diagonal lines aren’t allowed, and a line can’t be drawn twice.

If your line doesn’t finish a box, your turn is over.

The gold dashed lines show two open moves, one horizontal and one vertical.

Draw the fourth side and the box is yours

When your line closes the fourth side of a square, you claim that box and score a point.

It doesn’t matter who drew the other three sides. The box belongs to whoever finishes it.

Before

After

Blue draws the fourth side, scores one point, and goes again.

Claim a box, then go again

After you claim a box, draw again if any lines remain. If your next move claims another box, keep going. One turn can take a whole chain.

Your opponent gets the next turn after you draw a line that scores no boxes.

“After that first point, follow the row. Each box you close can leave the next one ready to take.”

Juno
This line claims the first box, and that opens up the next box in the row.

One line can close two boxes

A line between two boxes counts for both. If each one already has three sides, your single line claims them both.

If there are lines left, you get one extra move afterward.

The middle line finishes both boxes at the same time.

Think twice about the third side

A box with three sides is a free point for whoever moves next. Drawing that third side hands it to your opponent.

Early on, there’s usually a safe move somewhere else. Later, when every remaining line gives something away, the question becomes how little you can give.

“Before you draw, count the sides on both boxes that line touches.”

Juno
The red dashes under the top-left box mark a third side. The gold dashes at the bottom mark a safe move.

Most boxes wins

The game ends when every box has been claimed, and the player with more boxes wins.

With 25 boxes on the board, claiming 13 is enough to win when the board is full.

A finished game. Blue has 13 boxes and Red has 12, so Blue wins.

Playing on LarkSpark

On your turn, click or tap the space between two dots to draw a line there.

You can play one of eight bots, send a friend a link, or get matched with another player online. The bots range from Altair at level 1 to Orion at level 8.

  • Altair Level 1
  • Halley Level 2
  • Nova Level 3
  • Zhao Level 4
  • Juno Level 5
  • Lyra Level 6
  • Rigel Level 7
  • Orion Level 8
Your opponents, from friendliest to toughest.

Words to know

Look up chains, safe moves, the third side and other terms in the Dots and Boxes Glossary.

Your turn in four checks

  1. Draw one lineConnect two neighboring dots, across or up and down.
  2. Close a boxThe fourth side claims the box and gives you another move.
  3. Count the sidesA third side hands that box to whoever moves next.
  4. Watch the chainsNear the end, choose which run of boxes you’re willing to open.