Comparison

Dots + Boxes vs Dots and Boxes

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

Head to head
About

Dots + Boxes

Enjoy the classic pencil-and-paper game of Dots and Boxes on your mobile device. Challenge a friend or play against the AI in this simple yet engaging puzzle game. Track scores and enjoy customizable gameplay with fun graphics and sound.

Highlights
  • One and two-player modes
  • Play against AI
  • Demo mode
  • Configurable player names
  • Score tracking
  • Configurable AI difficulty
  • Undo function
Features
Read full description

Put away your pencil and paper, now you can play the classic Dot Game right on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Dots Free is the highest quality Dots and Boxes game available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and we're giving it away for free. Dots and Boxes is a very simple game. Two players take turns drawing lines between dots on the game board. When a player draws a line that completes a box, the player "owns" that box. Whoever owns more boxes when the game board is full is the winner. Dots Free supports one player and two player gameplay, so you can play against another human or against your iPhone. If you're really bored, you can even put the game in demo mode and watch your iPhone play itself. Dots Free offers a host of exciting features, including: * Killer graphics and awesome sound effects * Configurable player names and score tracking * Configurable 1 player difficulty level * Undo function * Automatic save when you exit the app or receive a phone call Dots Free is supported by unobtrusive banner advertising.

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!

Screenshots

Dots + Boxes4 screens
Dots and Boxes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Dots + Boxes at 4.4 against Dots and Boxes's 3.7. Dots + Boxes also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, monetization model 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dots + Boxes holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dots + Boxes has 2.4K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Dots + Boxes's written reviews are positive against 47% of Dots and Boxes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Dots + Boxes versus Dots and Boxes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDots + BoxesDots and Boxes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (2.4K ratings) — better3.7 (23 ratings)
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews — better46.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2.4K — better23
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB94 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptime Software LLCCodeHound

Customer experience

Dots + Boxes

All ratings2,423 ratings
Positive84.5%
Neutral6.3%
Negative9.2%
Written reviews784 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral11.4%
Negative12.1%

Dots and Boxes

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

Bugs and requests

Dots + Boxes

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on launch for some users
  • Redirects to App Store unexpectedly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Larger game board sizes
  • Harder difficulty levels
  • Different color options for players
  • Online/multiplayer mode

Dots and Boxes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Dots + Boxes

No 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

Questions

Is Dots + Boxes free?
Dots + Boxes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dots and Boxes free?
Dots and Boxes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dots + Boxes or Dots and Boxes?
Dots + Boxes is rated higher. Dots + Boxes averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Dots and Boxes averages 3.7 from 23 ratings.
Do Dots + Boxes or Dots and Boxes have ads?
Dots and Boxes shows ads; Dots + Boxes does not.
Which is updated more often, Dots + Boxes or Dots and Boxes?
Dots + Boxes ships an update every 2 months, and Dots and Boxes every 2 months. Most recently, Dots + Boxes was updated on October 10, 2026 and Dots and Boxes on October 5, 2026.

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