Tic-Tac-Toe Free online game

What is it?

Tic-Tac-Toe on Hanpanmadang uses a variant where each player can keep only three marks. Placing a fourth removes your oldest one, so unlike regular tic-tac-toe, games rarely end in a draw and reading ahead becomes the fun part.

Line up three horizontally, vertically or diagonally to win; if no one does within 60 moves, it's a draw. The blinking mark is the next to disappear, so you can see in advance how the board will change for both of you.

How to play

1. Tap an empty square to place your mark (X). Against the AI, you go first!
2. 3 marks each! Placing a 4th removes your oldest mark
3. First to line up 3 wins · a draw if no one does within 60 moves. The blinking mark is the next to vanish

Playing on PC (keyboard · mouse)

On phones you tap the screen; on PC you can also use the mouse and the keys below.

Difficulty and rankings

There's a weekly ranking and an all-time ranking; the weekly one resets every Monday at midnight (Korea time). For details, see the Help.

Good to know on Hanpanmadang

• Each player has up to 3 marks. Placing a fourth removes your oldest mark first, and only then is the line checked.
• If no one wins within 60 moves in total (30 each), it's a draw.
• Online, each move must be made within 30 seconds or you lose.

Learn from examples

Common mistakes

Always blocking your opponent's two in a row.

If your opponent's line relies on a mark that's about to vanish, that mark disappears before they can complete it. You don't need to block such lines.

Delaying the last cell of your line and losing the chance.

If your line includes your oldest mark, it disappears on your next move. Complete the line as soon as you can.

Tips

• The center square sits on four lines — row, column and both diagonals — making it the most useful. But in this variant, remember your center mark vanishes after you place three more.
• Look for a square that both blocks your opponent and extends your own line. Defending and attacking at once is the strongest move.
• The center square spans four lines, so it's still the best spot.
• Think one move ahead about what your opponent could do with the square that opens when a mark vanishes.