Gridglow

Gridglow is a neon noughts and crosses game. You and your opponent take turns placing X and O on a 3 by 3 grid, and the first to line up three wins.

How to play

1. On the start screen, choose Computer or Friend.
2. Against the computer, pick a level: Easy, Normal or Hard. Then choose X to move first or O to move second.
3. Press Start.
4. Click a square, or press a key from 1 to 9 (7, 8 and 9 are the top row, like a number pad).
5. Three in a row ends the round and a gold line runs through the winning squares. A full grid with no line is a draw.
6. Press Next round to play again, Restart round to clear the grid, or Menu to change the settings.

What you see on screen

• Start screen: the Gridglow title with Opponent, Level and You play options.
• Game screen: a glowing grid with cyan X marks and pink O marks, plus a panel with whose turn it is.
• Tally: wins, draws and losses for the session, or X wins, draws and O wins when you play a friend.

Tips

• Do not expect to beat Hard. In our tests, perfect play against it ended in a draw every time.
• Use Normal to practice: with the best moves we won four of eight games there.
• Choose O against Hard to practice defense, since the computer then moves first.
• Read our tic tac toe tips for the numbers behind these tips.

Frequently asked questions

How do I start a game?

Choose your opponent and level on the start screen and press Start.

Who moves first?

X always moves first. Pick X to go first or O to let the computer go first.

Can two people play?

Yes. Choose Friend and take turns on the same screen, X first.

Can I play with the keyboard?

Yes. The keys 1 to 9 match a number pad, so 7, 8 and 9 are the top row.

Can the computer be beaten?

Easy and Normal can be. Against Hard, the best we got was a draw.

Is Gridglow free to play?

Yes. You can play it in your browser on Yes This Game with no download and no sign-up.