About our board games
Play free board games online with no board to set up and no pieces to lose: Checkers, Connect Four, Tic Tac Toe and daily Chess Puzzles. Each game runs instantly in your browser on any device.
You can take on a computer opponent, choosing anything from a gentle AI for kids and beginners (in Checkers and Tic Tac Toe) up to one that will punish every mistake. Or hand the device across the table and play a friend in two-player mode. Checkers and Connect Four keep a tally of wins against the AI on our leaderboards, and Chess Puzzles tracks your solving streak.
These are games with centuries or decades of strategy behind them, and short enough to play several rounds in a coffee break.
Where to start
CheckersThe deepest game on this shelf, with four AI levels, forced jumps and kings.
Connect FourFast, tactical rounds that are ideal for playing a friend on one screen.
Chess PuzzlesImprove at chess in five minutes a day with mate-in-one to mate-in-three puzzles.
Tic Tac ToePerfect for young kids, and Ultimate mode gives adults a surprisingly deep game.Advertisement
Play the computer or a friend
Every game here except Chess Puzzles offers two ways to play.
- Against the computer. Choose an easy AI while you learn the rules, then step up as you improve. Losing to a harder AI and asking "why?" is one of the fastest ways to get better.
- Pass and play. Two players share one phone, tablet or computer and take turns. It is a simple way to play with family at the kitchen table or a friend on a train.
Chess Puzzles works differently: rather than playing a full game, you are given a position and asked to find the winning move or sequence. That makes it ideal for short sessions.
Games that computers have solved
Three of the games on this page have been "solved", meaning researchers have worked out the result when both sides play perfectly.
- Tic Tac Toe is a draw with perfect play. That is why a strong computer opponent can never be beaten, only tied.
- Connect Four was solved in 1988, independently by James Dow Allen and Victor Allis: the first player can force a win by starting in the middle column.
- Checkers was solved in 2007 by a team led by Jonathan Schaeffer at the University of Alberta, after years of computer analysis. With perfect play from both sides, the result is a draw.
Solved does not mean easy for humans, though. Perfect play in Checkers requires knowledge no person can memorize, and even in Connect Four, most players miss winning threats every game.
Quick strategy tips
- Checkers: control the center and keep your back row intact for as long as you can, since it stops your opponent from getting kings. Remember that jumps are mandatory, so you can sometimes force your opponent into a bad capture.
- Connect Four: the center column is the most valuable, because it takes part in the most possible lines of four. Watch for threats that sit one row above a playable space.
- Tic Tac Toe: if you go first, a corner is a strong opening. If you go second and your opponent takes a corner, take the center.
- Chess Puzzles: look at checks, captures and threats first, in that order. Most tactical puzzles begin with a forcing move.
For more strategy games that reward thinking ahead, try Logic Puzzles, Minesweeper or FreeCell.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play board games with a friend online?
Checkers, Connect Four and Tic Tac Toe support two players on the same device, taking turns. You can also play any of them against the computer.
Do you have to jump in checkers?
Yes. In standard checkers (also called draughts), if a capture is available you must take it, and if a piece can keep jumping it must continue. Our Checkers game enforces forced jumps and multi-jumps automatically.
Is Connect Four always won by the first player?
With perfect play, yes: the first player can force a win by opening in the center column. In practice, human players make enough mistakes that either side can win.
What is Ultimate Tic Tac Toe?
Ultimate Tic Tac Toe is played on nine small boards arranged in a 3x3 grid. The square you play in decides which small board your opponent must play on next, and you win by taking three small boards in a row. It is much more strategic than the classic game.
Can chess puzzles help me get better at chess?
Solving tactics puzzles is a very common training method among chess players because it builds pattern recognition for checkmates and winning combinations. Our Chess Puzzles include a daily puzzle and rating-based levels.