Tic Tactics Heard You Like Tic Tac Toe, So It Put Some Tic Tac Toe In Your Tic Tac Toe [Review]

I grew up in the 80s, so I know how close we came to total nuclear annihilation when the WOPR computer became self-aware, as we saw in the 1983 documentary WarGames. The only thing that saved us back then was Tic Tac Toe, a game that became the savior of all humanity just by being stupid and largely unwinnable.

Tic Tactics aims to solve its predecessor’s “what the hell, we’re bored” factor by adding eight more boards and some much-needed lateral thinking.

And it succeeds admirably.

Instead of the standard 3×3 grid of the traditional game, Tic Tactics uses a 9×9 board. Each of the nine boxes is its own mini game of Tic Tac Toe, and players take turns placing their Xs and Os like usual.

The goal is to claim three of the nine boxes in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and you claim a box by getting three of your pieces in a row in the usual way. The strategy emerges due to a rule that your move dictates which of the nine boxes your opponent has to place their piece in next (e.g. placing an X in the center square of one section means that the other person has to play in the center box of the whole board).

It adds eight more boards and some much-needed lateral thinking.

For this reason, traditional play isn’t always the way to go. Moving to block your adversary isn’t always the best move because it’s very rare that the other player will play next in the same board. The game becomes trying to place your pieces in such a way to get your buddy to make moves that benefit you, and it gets complicated quickly.

You can play against random people or play against your Facebook friends, and while that’s fairly social, the game lacks any kind of chat functionality, so you mostly feel like you’re playing against a photograph. It’s still fun and interesting without the communication, but it would be a welcome addition.

Game Name: : Tic Tactics The Good: Easy to pick up and some interesting strategy. The Bad: Occasional glitches and network connection issues that go away with a little patience. The Verdict It’s a deceptively complex update to a tired classic that’s simple to learn and provides a great mental workout. Buy from:App Store

[rating=game5]