Try-Tac-Toe
Rugby Tic Tac Toe
Two players, one grid, 30 seconds a move.
How to play
Two players take turns. Pick a square and name a player who matches its row and its column to claim it. Three in a row wins. You have 30 seconds per move; a wrong or late answer passes the turn, and a player can only be named once.
Pick a square, then name a player
The 30-second clock starts with the first move.
Game settings
How to play
Try-Tac-Toe is tic-tac-toe, or noughts and crosses, played on a 3×3 grid of rugby criteria. Each row and each column has a criterion, such as a club, a nation, a position or a number of caps.
You and your opponent take turns. On your turn, pick a free square and name a player who matches both its row and its column: if he fits, the square is yours. Three in a row wins; if nobody manages it, the game is a draw. You have 30 seconds per move, and a wrong or late answer passes the turn to your opponent. Each player can be named only once per game.
Play a friend on one device, with a hand-off screen that hides the board between turns, or take on the computer at one of three levels. Choose the board of the day, the same for everyone, or a random board whenever you like.
Tips
- Go for the centre square when you have a name for it: it sits on more winning lines than any other, and the corners come next.
- Watch your opponent's lines: if they have two in a row, take the third square, even if it is a tricky one.
- Think ahead: with only 30 seconds per move, it helps to have a name in mind for every square you might want.
- Each player can be named only once, so if your opponent takes the name you were saving, have a second option ready.
- Against the computer, start on easy to get used to the criteria, then move up: on hard, it rarely misses.
FAQ
Is it a rugby Wordle?
Not quite. Try-Tac-Toe shares the daily spirit, with a board of the day that is the same for everyone, but it is a game of tic-tac-toe in which you claim squares by naming rugby players. It is not affiliated with Wordle.
When does the board of the day change?
Every day at midnight in your local time. Everyone gets the same board of the day on a given date, and you can play a random board at any time.
Where does the data come from?
Player data comes from Wikidata (CC0) and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) and is updated automatically every night, so a recent transfer or the latest caps can take a few days to show. You can report an error from the player card shown at the end of the mystery player and career games, and corrections are applied automatically after several matching reports.
Can I replay old boards?
There is no archive for this game. Instead, you can play a random board whenever you like, as many times as you want.
How do I play against a friend?
Choose the two-player mode and share one phone, tablet or computer. Between turns, a hand-off screen hides the board until the next player is ready.
How strong is the computer?
You can choose between three levels: easy, medium and hard. The computer sometimes misses its move, often on easy and rarely on hard.
What happens if I run out of time?
The turn passes to your opponent. The same happens if you name a player who does not fit the square or who has already been named in this game.
Does my game count in my statistics?
Your first game of the day against the computer on the board of the day counts in your statistics, and you can share it. Replays, random boards and two-player games do not count.
Can I play online against a friend on another device?
No. Two-player games are played on a single device, which you pass to each other between turns.
How do I share my result?
When the game ends, share a spoiler-free result as text or as an image. It shows the outcome and the board, with your squares in green and your opponent's in red.