Halloween Tic Tac Toe: how to play

Halloween Tic Tac Toe is a free Halloween tic tac toe game online, hosted by Swirl, a bouncy lollipop with a candy-stripe swirl. You play smiling pumpkins and always go first against a friendly ghost in every level: the 3×3 game you know, a wise ghost who never loses, bigger 4×4 and 5×5 boards, and finally Ultimate Tic Tac Toe at the Star Castle, where nine small boards make one big one.

How to play

• To play this Halloween tic tac toe game online, tap a square to put your pumpkin there. You always go first. Arrow keys and Enter or Space work too.
• Get the level's line length in a row (across, down or diagonal) to win: three in a row on 3×3 and 4×4, four in a row on 5×5.
• Win to move to the next level. Losing a game costs one of your three hearts and you get a rematch. A draw replays.
• Sage, the ghost in level 2, never loses: there, a draw clears the level.
• On the plain boards, block a square the ghost needed to win and you score a close-call bonus.
• Ultimate: win a small board to claim it, and claim three small boards in a row to win. The square you play in sends the ghost to the matching small board; if that board is finished, it can play in any open board. Boards you may play in glow gold.

The five levels

1. Pumpkin Patch: 3×3 vs Puff, a giggly ghost who is a bit careless
2. Candy Lane: 3×3 vs Sage, who never loses: a draw clears the level
3. Owl Woods: a 4×4 board, still three in a row, vs Misty
4. Moon Hill: a 5×5 board, four in a row, vs Moonbeam
5. Star Castle: Ultimate Tic Tac Toe vs Twinkle

Clear the Star Castle and the levels loop again: Sage still never loses, and every other ghost gets sharper. You have three hearts for the whole run, and the game is the same for everyone each day, so you can compare scores. Press M to turn the sound off or on.

Tips

• Take the centre or a corner first on 3×3. The edge squares are weakest.
• Win by making two threats at once: the ghost can only block one.
• In Ultimate, think about where your move sends the ghost, not just the square you take.
• Swirl says the hints in a speech bubble, and the ghost shows thinking dots while it picks a square.

Questions

Is Halloween Tic Tac Toe free?

Yes. Halloween Tic Tac Toe is free online in your browser, with no download and no sign-up.

Can I play it on my phone?

Yes. Tap a square to put your pumpkin there. On an upright phone the board sits at the top with Swirl and the ghost underneath. It works on phones, tablets and computers.

Can you beat the ghosts?

Four of them, yes. Sage plays perfectly on 3×3, so nobody can beat Sage, only hold a draw, which is why a draw clears that level.

Is it scary?

No. It is friendly Halloween fun: smiling pumpkins, giggly ghosts, candy and a bouncy lollipop who cheers you on.