Dice Dots and Boxes
Roll, paint that many lines, close the boxes. Best of 3 sheets.
Dice Dots and Boxes is a two-player version of Dots and Boxes in which you roll a die and must draw exactly that many lines. Close the fourth side of a box to claim it, and the player with the most boxes wins.
Dots and Boxes with a twist: roll your die and you must paint exactly that many lines. A 6 late in the sheet can be a gift, setting up a box and closing it in the same turn, or a curse that forces you to open a chain for your rival.
- How you hold it
- Face-off
- Match
- Best of 3 sheets
- Length
- About 1.5 to 2.5 minutes a sheet on 5 by 5
- Play
- Friend or bot
How to play Dice Dots and Boxes: quick rules
About 1.5 to 2.5 minutes a sheet on 5 by 5, 5 to 7 minutes for best of 3; 4 by 4 is about a minute a sheet. Full rules, options and bot levels are further down.
- 1Roll your die. Paint that many lines between the dots.
- 2Paint the fourth side of a box and it's yours.
- 3The die sets your lines, even when they help your rival.
- 4Most boxes wins. The gold box is worth 2.
Dice Dots and Boxes rules
Setup
- The sheet is a 5 by 5 grid of dots by default: 40 lines and 16 boxes. 4 by 4 (9 boxes) and 6 by 6 (25 boxes) are options.
- A coin toss picks who rolls first in a fresh match; on a rematch the previous loser starts. After each sheet, the loser starts the next.
- A 3-2-1 countdown starts each sheet.
A turn
- Roll your own six-sided die. The number is how many lines you must paint this turn: no fewer, no passing and no undo.
- Paint the lines one at a time; any line not yet painted may be chosen.
- Paint the fourth side of a box and it's yours. One line can close two boxes.
- Unlike classic Dots and Boxes, closing a box does not give you an extra line: the die sets the count. With Bonus line on, a line that closes a box adds one line to your turn.
- With Re-roll on, each player may re-roll once per sheet, before painting the first line of a turn. The new number replaces the old.
Scoring
- Each box scores 1 point.
- With Golden box on (the default), one box near the middle is gold and scores 2.
- With Combo stamp on (the default), claiming three boxes in one turn stamps "Combo!". It's just for show and doesn't change the score.
Winning and ties
- If fewer lines remain than you rolled, the sheet ends when the last line is painted. Most points wins the sheet.
- On equal points the sheet is replayed with the other player starting; it doesn't count.
- A match is a single sheet, best of 3 (the default) or best of 5. It never ends drawn.
Hints against the bot
- Playing the bot outside a tournament, you can spend 20 coins on a hint after you roll. It rings, for two seconds, the line the Hard bot would paint next for you.
- A hint never paints the line for you, and you can take one per turn. There are no hints against a friend or in a tournament.
Tips to win at Dice Dots and Boxes
- 1Paint safe lines early and keep an eye on how many are left, so a big roll late in the sheet doesn't force you to open a chain.
- 2A high roll with boxes on offer is a gift: set up a box and close it in the same turn.
- 3When the die forces you to give something away, open the shortest chain you can.
- 4Go for the gold box near the middle: it is worth 2 and often decides a close sheet.
- 5With Re-roll on, keep it for late in the sheet, when a bad number would hand over a long chain.
Controls
Phone flat between you. Each player owns a half, and the far half faces the far player.
- Tap your own die, in your dock or the big die in your roll band, to roll. Brush ticks show how many lines you still owe.
- Tap the gap between two neighbouring dots to paint that line. It paints at once, so look before you tap.
- The phone lies flat between you; each player's die, ticks and score sit at their own end, facing them.
- 6 by 6 is offered on bigger phones only, so every line stays easy to tap.
Options
Every option is free. Defaults are marked.
| Option | Choices | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Dots | 4 by 45 by 5 (default)6 by 6 | 9, 16 or 25 boxes. 6 by 6 is offered on bigger phones only. |
| Sheets | SingleBest of 3 (default)Best of 5 | How many sheets to win the match. |
| Golden box | On (default)Off | Extra: one central box is worth 2. |
| Combo stamp | On (default)Off | Extra: "Combo!" stamps when you claim three boxes in one turn. |
| Bonus line | OnOff (default) | Extra: a line that closes a box adds one line to your turn. |
| Re-roll | OnOff (default) | Extra: one re-roll each per sheet, before your first line of a turn. |
Play Dice Dots and Boxes against the bot
The bot plays Blue, rolls its own die and paints its lines one by one so you can follow along. It sees the sheet and its own roll, never a future roll. It takes boxes when it can and tries not to give you a third side.
Easy
Paints about half its lines at random; the rest it plays sensibly. It never re-rolls.
Normal
Takes the best box on offer, sets up boxes it can close in the same turn and otherwise paints a safe line, with the odd random line.
Hard
Never paints at random. When it has to give something away, it gives the smallest gift it can. The die still lets you beat it.
Online, tournaments and hints
- Online
- PlannedOnline play for Dice Dots and Boxes is planned, not available yet. Today you play a friend on the same phone or the bot.
- Tournament
- Can be drawn in a tournamentIn a tournament it plays the default options: 5 by 5, best of 3, Golden box and Combo stamp on. The first player alternates from game to game, and hints are off.
- Hints
- Stuck against the bot? A hint lights up the strongest move for a few coins. Never with a friend, online or in a tournament.
Coming soon
- Online play. Play Dice Dots and Boxes against someone on another phone, with a turn clock and the server rolling the dice.
How it feels
- A die rattle as it tumbles and a brush swish as each line paints in.
- A splash when you close a box: a watercolour wash pops, your mark stamps in and paint droplets fly.
- A bright "Combo!" stamp for three boxes in a turn, and the leader's boxes pulse at the end of a sheet.
Accessibility
- Colour is never the only cue: Red's boxes carry a heart and Blue's a cross, the gold box has a star, and ticks show the lines left.
- One finger, tap only.
- With reduce motion on, strokes and washes appear without the draw-in, pop or splash.
- Every line has a screen-reader label by row, column and direction, and each player's box count is read out.
- There is no clock on a turn against a friend or the bot.
Dice Dots and Boxes questions
You roll a die and must paint exactly that many lines, and closing a box doesn't give you an extra turn. That means you sometimes have to hand your rival boxes.
Paint the fourth side of a box to claim it. When the last line is painted, most points wins the sheet; the gold box is worth 2.
Yes. The phone lies flat between you and each player rolls their own die at their own end.
Yes. The bot plays on Easy, Normal or Hard, and you can buy a hint with coins against it.
Not yet. Online play for Dice Dots and Boxes is planned, not available yet. Today you play a friend on the same phone or the bot.
About 1.5 to 2.5 minutes a sheet on 5 by 5, 5 to 7 minutes for best of 3; 4 by 4 is about a minute a sheet.
Play Dice Dots and Boxes on one phone
Free on Android. Sit face to face, or take on the bot on Easy, Normal or Hard.
