What is Boxes Game?
Boxes Game is a dots-and-boxes variant in which each square carries a positive or negative value. The daily puzzle, called Daily Gambit, presents a partially completed endgame position with three counters at the top: You, PAR, and Rival. Your goal is to find the optimal move sequence and beat the PAR score shown in advance.
How to play Boxes Game
- Read the value written inside each square, paying attention to negative ones.
- Click an edge between two dots to draw it.
- When you complete a square, you claim its value and take another turn.
- Watch the three counters update as you and the rival alternate moves.
- Compare your final score to the PAR target after the last square is claimed.
Negative squares change the game
The addition of negative values transforms the childhood grid game into a tactical puzzle. Completing a square is no longer automatic when that square costs you points. The daily format sharpens this further: the position is already advanced, PAR is announced before your first move, and the task is to find the right line rather than play out a full game.
Modes and navigation
The default Daily Gambit uses a 3×3 grid labeled "Full Fat" with several negative squares. A Junior 2×2 option sits under the board for a smaller daily puzzle. Date navigation appears beneath the grid, with arrows on each side and a dropdown on "Today" to revisit earlier puzzles. Free Play mode, described on the site, offers 4×4, 5×5, and 6×6 boards against the computer or a local opponent.
Tips for beating PAR
The puzzle subtitle calls it a gambit, meaning a deliberate sacrifice. You will sometimes need to give the rival a square to control what comes next. Because PAR is visible from the start, winning is not enough; you must win by the margin the puzzle expects. The tutorial opens automatically but can be skipped. If you take it, the first lesson hands you a free square and highlights the next move with a flashing line. No account or sign-up is required.