Dots + Boxes vs Dots and Boxes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- One and two-player modes
- Play against AI
- Demo mode
- Configurable player names
- Score tracking
- Configurable AI difficulty
- Undo function
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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.
Dots and Boxes
Connect dots to form squares and outscore your opponent in this classic strategy board game. Play solo against AI, challenge friends locally, or compete with players worldwide for a top spot on the global leaderboard. Enjoy hours of brain-training fun with customizable themes and multiple difficulty levels.
- Connect dots to form squares
- Play solo against AI
- Local and online multiplayer
- Global high-score leaderboard
- 3 difficulty levels
- Collect Game Center achievements
- Colorful themes
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Link the dots, close more squares than your opponent and be first in the Global High-Score, among thousands of players worldwide. From the creators of Four In A Row, another classic! Have your skills changed since you were in school? ^__^ Challenge a friend next to you or find an opponent online. Or try to beat one of our well-trained virtual players ;) DOTS AND BOXES - CLASSIC BOARD GAMES is completely Free. If you love games like Chess, Checkers, Backgammon and other challenging pastimes, you will love Dots and Boxes. Play ‘solo’ or against a real opponent using either our local or online multiplayer mode; play with a friend on the same device or find an opponent from anywhere in the world. DOTS AND BOXES - CLASSIC BOARD GAMES will challenge you according to your abilities, with 3 difficulty levels, and it’s easy to get: tap on the dots to draw lines and close squares. You’re the winner if you got more squares than your opponent when there's no more lines to trace. Can you think of a better brain training? Key features: - Choose between 3 modes of difficulty - Play against real humans online (multiplayer)! - Challenge your friends on the same device (2 players mode) - Climb the high score - Collect Game Center achievements - Enjoy hours of fun with colourful themes - Easy to get, hard to master - Fun for all ages Start closing your boxes now! Free! Thanks for playing! FOLLOW US Facebook/outofthebit @outofthebit
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dots + Boxes at none against Dots and Boxes's 1. Dots + Boxes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). Dots and Boxes's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 2.4K). On price, rating, review sentiment and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Dots and Boxes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Dots + Boxes asks for nothing beyond the download.
Dots and Boxes holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dots and Boxes has 14K ratings behind it against 2.4K, 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 81% of Dots and Boxes's.
Dots + Boxes ships an update every 2 months, Dots and Boxes every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.
| Parameter | Dots + Boxes | Dots and Boxes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (2.4K ratings) | 4.6 (14K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews | 81.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.4K | 14K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Optime Software LLC | OutOfTheBit Ltd |
Customer experience
Dots + Boxes
Dots and Boxes
User reviews
Dots + Boxes
From 2.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple, easy-to-use game
- 🕹️ Fun way to pass time
- 💡 Brings back nostalgic memories
- 👨👩👧👦 Great for playing with friends/family
Room to improve
- 🐛 Lines don't always register correctly
- 🤖 Easy computer opponent
- 🔍 Hard to track computer's last move
- 📱 Small game board size
Dots and Boxes
From 14K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Fun and enjoyable gameplay
- 🕹️ Classic game with nostalgic appeal
- 💪 Challenging and mentally stimulating
- 🎨 Simple, clean, and intuitive design
Room to improve
- 💸 Excessive advertisements
- 🤖 AI can be too easy or too difficult
- 🔍 Inaccurate touch controls
- 🔒 Multiplayer functionality issues
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
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game freezing or crashing
- Incorrect move registrations
- Multiplayer connection problems
Requested features
4 requests- Additional difficulty levels
- Customizable game board sizes
- Undo/reset functionality
- Improved multiplayer experience
In-app purchases
Dots + Boxes
No in-app purchases
Dots and Boxes
- Dots and Boxes Premium$1.99
Questions
Is Dots + Boxes free?
Is Dots and Boxes free?
Which has better reviews, Dots + Boxes or Dots and Boxes?
Do Dots + Boxes or Dots and Boxes have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dots + Boxes or Dots and Boxes?
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