Dots Arena
A classic strategy puzzle, reimagined.
The pencil-and-paper Dots & Boxes everyone played as a kid — connect the dots, claim the squares — now with a warm hand-drawn book look, a sharp AI, and a 10-level campaign. Matches run 3–10 minutes, every move is one short line, no timers. Offline. No account.
Four rules. A lifetime of strategy.
You learned it in a school notebook. Here it is again — clean lines, real opponents, and a hint of depth that rewards thinking ahead.
Start with dots
A tidy grid of dots sits on the page, waiting. Pick your grid size and board.
Draw a line
On your turn, connect two neighbouring dots with one short line. Then it's the other player's move.
Claim a box
Close the fourth side of a square and it's yours — initialled in your colour. Claiming a box earns you another turn.
Win the page
When every line is drawn, the player who claimed the most boxes wins. Simple to start, hard to master.
The real game: chain control
The trick every grown-up rediscovers is the double-cross sacrifice — deliberately giving away two boxes to force your opponent to open the next long chain for you. The Easy AI is a friendly warm-up; the Smart AI reads the chains and plays for the long game, so a 6×6 board becomes a genuine battle of foresight.
The game was first published by mathematician Édouard Lucas in 1889.Pick your board. Pick your rival.
Four grid sizes from a quick 3×3 to a meaty 6×6, two ways to play the board, and three tiers of opponent.
Classic
The original empty grid. Every line is up for grabs from the first move — the purest test of chain strategy.
Swedish Rim
The outer perimeter starts already drawn, so the action begins sooner. A faster, punchier match with less early shuffling.
Triangular
A triangular board that reshapes the geometry of chains entirely — a fresh challenge once you've mastered the squares.
Smart AI
Counts the chains and isn't afraid to sacrifice. Plays the double-cross to steal the endgame. Bring your A-game.
Easy AI
A relaxed warm-up that plays it straight. Perfect for learning the ropes or a low-stakes coffee-break game.
Pass & Play
Two players, one phone. Hand the device back and forth for the classic kitchen-table showdown — fully offline.
Straight from the notebook
A look at the boards, the campaign map, and the cozy hand-drawn finish. Tap any photo to enlarge.
Ready to draw the first line?
Free to play, friendly to learn, and quietly deep. Dots Arena is waiting in your pocket.
Get it onGoogle Play