Teeko is John Scarne's classic two-player strategy game, free to play online against the computer with no download and no sign-up. Each side has just four markers. Take turns dropping them on the 5×5 board, then slide one marker a step at a time — across, up, down or diagonally — to make four in a straight line or four on a small 2×2 square. It plays like a tic-tac-toe that never fills up: every four can be blocked, so the real game is the double threat. Five computer opponents, from a Novice that misses your threats to a Master that reads seven moves ahead, plus hints, undo and saved games.
How to play Teeko
- You and the computer each have four markers. Black moves first: you play Black in your first game, and the colours swap every game after that.
- Drop phase: take turns tapping any empty point to drop a marker, until all eight markers are on the board.
- Move phase: tap one of your markers, then tap a glowing neighbouring point to step there — one point across, up, down or diagonally. You can also drag a marker, or tap an empty point that only one of your markers can reach.
- Win by getting all four of your markers in a straight line — across, down or diagonal — or onto a 2×2 square. A win can come before the drop is even finished.
- The same position coming round a third time with the same player to move is a draw, and so is 50 moves each in the moving phase without a winner.
- Beat an opponent to unlock the next one. Hint shows the Master's choice of move; Undo takes back your last move and the computer's reply.
Tips
- Start in the middle. The centre point belongs to 12 of the 44 winning fours on the board; a corner belongs to only 4.
- Aim for a double threat — one drop or step that opens two different fours at once. The computer can block only one of them.
- Watch the squares as well as the lines: three markers in an L shape threaten the fourth corner just as three in a row threaten the end.
- In the move phase, check what your step uncovers as well as what it builds — a marker that walks away from a block can hand the other side its four.
- Keep your markers close together. A marker left alone on the edge sits in few fours and takes turns to bring back into play.
FAQ
Is Teeko free to play online?
Yes. Teeko is free to play in your browser with no download, no account and no in-game purchases.
How do you win at Teeko?
Get all four of your markers into a straight line of four — across, down or diagonally — or onto a 2×2 square of four neighbouring points. The 5×5 board has 28 straight fours and 16 squares: 44 winning shapes in all.
What happens once all the markers are on the board?
The game switches to moving. Each turn you slide one of your markers one step to a neighbouring empty point, diagonals included — no jumping and no captures. A side can never be boxed in completely: four markers short of a win always border at least six other points, and the opponent has only four markers to fill them with.
Can Teeko end in a draw?
Yes. Here a game is drawn when the same position comes round a third time with the same player to move, or after 50 moves each in the moving phase with no winner. Computer analysis has shown that Teeko is a draw when both sides play perfectly, so draws are common between strong players: the Master and the Expert drew 257 of their 400 measured games.
Who moves first in Teeko?
Black always moves first. You play Black in your first game and the colours swap every game, so you get the first move every other game. Moving first is a real advantage between careful players: in 200 games of the Expert playing itself from random two-drop openings, Black won 66 and Red won 18, with 116 draws.
How strong is the computer?
Each pairing of levels was measured over 400 computer-against-computer games (200 random openings, each played with the colours swapped). The Novice scores 64% against a player who only watches for fours one move away; after that every level outscores the one below it — the Apprentice 93% against the Novice, the Player 98% against the Apprentice, the Expert 87% against the Player, and the Master, which looks seven moves ahead, 62% against the Expert, winning 118 games to 25 with 257 draws.
Does Teeko work on phones?
Yes. Tap to drop and step, or drag a marker with your finger; on an upright phone the board sits above the controls. A keyboard works too: the arrow keys move around the board and Enter plays, H asks for a hint, U takes back a move and N starts a new game.
How is Teeko different from tic-tac-toe or Connect Four?
Tic-tac-toe and Connect Four are over once the board fills or the pieces run out. Teeko gives each side only four markers and then keeps them moving, so a blocked line can be rebuilt somewhere else — and the 2×2 square is a second way to win that neither of those games has.
Who invented Teeko?
The American games expert John Scarne, who brought it out in the 1930s. The rules here are his basic game: a 5×5 board, four markers each, Black first, then four in a line or on a square to win.