Tic Tac Toe and More!

We’re planning a very different holiday next week and new game would be a great addition to our celebration!

Something offline and familiar that has a twist.

Maybe you work together to figure out strategies? Maybe you play quickly just to see what happens? Set a time limit of two minutes if a player gets anxious about the game. Maybe you play as teams with team members taking turns moving a marker? Do you try to win or prevent your opponent from winning? Maybe you are deliberative and make a move only between courses of your meal. 😉

You may even know a few strategies for increasing your chances of winning the game.

The people at AIMS based in Fresno Pacific University have an amazing collection of puzzles and resources including the game Three in a Row.

The set up is similar to tic tac toe but the variation in the rules makes the game a different kind of challenge. You only place three markers like small cups, coins, or dried beans. Anything with two sides will work along with a sheet of paper and the lines for the board.

After all six are placed, you can slide your marker to an adjacent open space horizontally or vertically but not diagonally. Like tic tac toe the object is to get three in a row. The strategies that might work for traditional tic tac toe just don’t guarantee a win. There might even be a stalemate. All is explained in their rules for Three in a Row.

I hope you enjoy a variation on a classic game and have a safe holiday!

Barbara