Comparison

Dots and Boxes vs Dots & Boxes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dots and Boxes

Engage in a classic pencil-and-paper strategy game with this digital multiplayer version. Connect dots to form squares and outscore your opponents in live online matches, private games with friends, or offline against the computer. Bet on matches and climb the global leaderboard.

Highlights
  • Live online multiplayer
  • Private matches with friends
  • Offline AI opponent
  • Betting and rewards
  • Live chat with opponents
  • Global leaderboard
  • Facebook login
Features
Read full description

Dots and Boxes is a LIVE, online Multiplayer version of the popular classic board game- Dots & Boxes. This amazing game is a modern take on the pencil-and-paper game that has been a favourite among players all over the world. 

 Objective of the game is to link any 2 dots and close the squares. The player who closes the most number of boxes wins. You and your opponents take turns to connect dots by adding a single horizontal or vertical line between 2 adjacent dots.

 Dots and Boxes: Multiplayer offers you a wide range of game modes including MULTIPLAYER mode where you play against players worldwide. 
PRIVATE mode lets you Create or Join a match with your family and friends. 
OFFLINE mode for keeping you engaged when you are away from the internet.

 Features:

 • Live, Online Multiplayer Dots & Boxes game • Play with gamers all over the world with MULTIPLAYER mode
 • Play PRIVATE game with your friends and family 
• Play OFFLINE turn-based game against the computer • Place your desired BET amounts and win Double Rewards • CHAT Live with opponents while playing
 • Top the Global LEADERBOARD and be the ultimate Champion • Login with FACEBOOK 
• Designed for both smartphones and tablets 
• Suitable for all ages

 If you love playing board games online, you will love Dots and Boxes. A perfect puzzle game for your friends and family. Download and play for Free!

About

Dots & Boxes

Experience the classic pen-and-paper game on your mobile device. Connect dots to complete boxes and outsmart your opponents in various game modes, including online multiplayer and AI challenges. Enjoy a tactile, ad-free gaming experience with customizable board sizes.

Highlights
  • Online multiplayer
  • AI opponent challenges
  • Pass & Play local multiplayer
  • Customizable board sizes
  • Ad-free gameplay
  • Resume paused games
Features
Read full description

Bring the classic pen-and-paper game to your phone. Connect neighboring dots, complete boxes and outsmart your opponent one line at a time. Remember Dots & Boxes at the back of class? Two pens, one notebook page, a grid of dots and a lot of friendly trash talk. Dots & Sticks brings that classroom classic to your phone: play online, climb the Solo Challenge, challenge a friend, or pass one phone back and forth. And no ad ever interrupts a match. Known as Dots & Boxes, Dots and Lines, Dots and Dashes or simply Squares, it is easy to learn and harder to master than it looks. HOW TO PLAY Take turns drawing a line between two neighboring dots. Close the fourth side of a square and the box is yours, and you play again. One careless line can hand your opponent a whole chain of boxes, so every move counts. When the notebook page is full, the player with the most boxes wins. PLAY YOUR WAY - Solo Challenge: climb a ladder of four opponents, from Easy on a small grid to Expert on an 8x8 board. Beat one to unlock the next, and earn up to three stars for every win. - Quick Match: jump into an online game with another player and see who plays the better chains. - Play a Friend: create a private room, share the code or the link, and play from anywhere. Pick the board size, then ask for a rematch. - Pass & Play: two players, one phone. Perfect for the coffee table, a long trip or a classroom break. - Learn in 30 seconds: a short, hands-on walkthrough teaches the rules the first time you play. - Pause any game, close the app and resume exactly where you left off. MEET YOUR OPPONENTS Every opponent on the ladder has a name and a playing style of their own. The first ones make beginner mistakes; the later ones count the chains, punish loose lines and make you earn every box. Win by a wide margin to collect all three stars, then come back and replay for a perfect score. ONLINE, WITH PERSONALITY Pick a name and an emoji avatar, and show your country flag if you like (you can switch it off in Settings). Your online rating rises when you win and falls when you lose, and your stats screen tracks games, wins, win streaks and your best run. You can delete your online data at any time from that screen. CHOOSE YOUR BOARD Play on 5x5, 6x6, 7x7 or 8x8 dots, from a quick round of a minute or two to a long strategic battle. The bigger the grid, the more chains, sacrifices and double-crosses you will need to plan. NO ADS WHILE YOU PLAY Your game is never interrupted. Ads only appear after a game ends, never in the middle of a match and never after your very first game. The game is free to play, with no sign-up and no in-app purchases. A NOTEBOOK COME TO LIFE Hand-drawn ink lines, ruled paper, pencil doodles in the margins and soft classroom sounds make every move feel tactile, never glossy and never neon. The layout adapts to phones, tablets and landscape, and the game speaks English, French, German and Spanish, picking your device language automatically. MADE FOR SHORT BREAKS A game on a small grid takes just a couple of minutes, so it fits a queue, a commute or the gap between lessons. Hand the phone to a sibling, a classmate or a grandparent: nobody needs a tutorial, and everybody remembers the rules. WORKS WHEN YOU DO Solo Challenge and Pass & Play need no connection at all, so you can play on a plane, on the bus or anywhere the signal drops. Online games reconnect on their own if your connection wobbles. TIPS FROM THE BACK OF THE CLASS - Avoid drawing the third side of a box: it hands that box to your opponent. - Count the chains near the end. Sometimes giving up a few boxes wins the game. - Small grids reward careful counting, big grids reward patience. - Going second? Stay calm: the last chains often decide everything. If you love classic board games, paper games, two-player games or strategy puzzles, Dots & Sticks is the dots and boxes game made for you. Grab a friend and claim the squares.

Screenshots

Dots and Boxes4 screens
Dots & Boxes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dots & Boxes at 100% against Dots and Boxes's 47%. Dots & Boxes also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and ads (none vs shown). Dots and Boxes's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Dots and Boxes sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Dots & Boxes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dots and Boxes ships an update every 2 months, Dots & Boxes every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Dots and Boxes versus Dots & Boxes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDots and BoxesDots & Boxes
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (23 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews46.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings23 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCodeHoundSurbhi Agrawal

Customer experience

Dots and Boxes

All ratings23 ratings
Positive65.2%
Neutral4.3%
Negative30.4%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive46.7%
Neutral6.7%
Negative46.7%

Dots & Boxes

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Dots and Boxes

One-time8
  • 10000 Coins$0.99
  • 25000 Coins$1.99
  • 50000 Coins$2.99
Show 5 more
  • 100K Coins$3.99
  • 250K Coins$4.99
  • 95000 Coins$4.99
  • 750K Coins$5.99
  • Remove Ads$9.99
None

Dots & Boxes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dots and Boxes free?
Dots and Boxes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dots & Boxes free?
Dots & Boxes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dots and Boxes or Dots & Boxes have ads?
Dots and Boxes shows ads; Dots & Boxes does not.
Which is updated more often, Dots and Boxes or Dots & Boxes?
Dots and Boxes ships an update every 2 months, and Dots & Boxes every 4 days. Most recently, Dots and Boxes was updated on November 2, 2026 and Dots & Boxes on November 6, 2026.

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