Review

Dots and boxes is a fun, classic and simple game dating back to the 19th century. Users are required to draw vertical or horizontal lines between adjacent dots on the board one at a time. The goal of the game is to create squares and populate the board with your own colour. Users are able to play against the computer with various difficulty levels (easy, medium, hard) or against another human opponent using the multiplayer (pass & play) mode.

Positive features of this app include the simple and clean design with large playing pieces that allow the user to focus on the game without distraction, in addition to a subtle prompt if the user is inactive for a period of time (bouncing avatar icon on top banner). Unlike other apps of this genre we analyzed, there is no component of time which allows users to complete the game at their own pace and improves its accessibility. There also exists a feature that ensures the last piece that was drawn by either player is a different colour from the rest (yellow line in image above) and allows the user to refer back if they become distracted.

The app is free to download, however it does contain some banner adverts on the bottom part of the screen during gameplay and full-screen adverts after a game has been completed. Although the full-screen adverts can be easily dismissed, the location of the banner adverts can be intrusive if the user mistakenly clicks them during gameplay. There exists an optional upgrade to remove adverts within the app for users who prefer uninterrupted gameplay.

Tip: In-App Purchases do require a password before completion, but they can be completely restricted on your device, if preferred. For information on how to do this for the Apple iPad, read our step-by-step guide. For information on how to do this for the Android tablet, click here.

Recommended settings

Access the settings menu by tapping on the stacked lines icon on the top right corner of the screen and then selecting ‘Settings’. These are our recommended settings when introducing the game:

• Sound (user preference)

• Difficulty (easy/medium/hard)

To begin a game against another human opponent (Pass & Play mode):

• Tap on the stacked lines icon on the top right corner of the screen

• Select 2 Players (offline) option from the options

• Tap anywhere on the screen to return to game