Retro Games Links

Recent book (2000) published by A. K. Peters, and probably the only book entirely about this topic. Focuses on the theory of winning strategies, and includes many puzzles both solved and unsolved.

Windows program for playing dots and boxes. Currently one of the best opponents, and can easily beat novices, but still no match for the masters.

Human against computer playing at one of three levels of difficulty, with variable board size.

A dots-and-boxes analysis program and analysis results.

Play a game with 1-6 other players via email on an arbitrarily sized board.

Includes, in particular, a large literature survey of the mathematical and computational literature. From August 1997.

Streaming-video hour-long special seminar held at MSRI on September 13, 1999, by one of the world's experts on the game. Describes the mathematics behind winning strategies.

Streaming-video 30-minute talk held at MSRI during the Combinatorial Game Theory Research Workshop, July 24-28, 2000. Describes a particular type of endgame which arises frequently in practice and can be solved in polynomial time.

Implementation for TI-86 calculator.

Windows implementation of dots and boxes and a variation involving dice and a colored board in which some boxes are worth more than others.

Play dots-and-boxes against the computer on an 8x8 grid.[Requires JavaScript]

Networked Java implementation of dots and boxes. Includes minor rule variations, various board sizes, 2-4 players, ratings, and chatting.