Play the game here. Grab a friend (or enemy) because this game requires two people.
![A game of ultimate tic tac toe.](misc_images/ultimate_tic_tac_toe_game.png)
Background
Tic Tac Toe is incredibly boring. For most people, the game is synonymous with “draw” or “tie” or “cat’s game.” At some point in middle school, I was introduced to Ultimate Tic Tac Toe, a game of Tic Tac Toe with nine smaller games of Tic Tac Toe happening inside of it.
I didn’t play it much because keeping track of the last moves and legal actions was a bit tedious, but it was a really fun way to pass the time. Rather than manage all the boring stuff on my own, I decided to let a computer do it for me.
Rules
I explain the rules on the README for the project, but I’ve also included them below. You can access the source for the project here.
x goes first…
- On the first move, x can play anywhere on the board.
o goes second…
- o can only play in the section of the global board that corresponds to where x played in the local board.
- ex. If x plays in the center of the top left board, then o can play anywhere in the center board.
the game repeats…
- Now x is restricted to the section that corresponds to o‘s last move.
- If the corresponding section has been won (more on that later), or it is full, the player can play anywhere.
until someone wins.
- If you get 3 in a row in a local board, you win that board.
- If the local board is a draw, no one gets it.
- Three local boards in a row, and you win the game.
- If the game finishes without anyone getting 3 local boards in a row, it’s a draw.