Tic-Tac-Go Answers: How to Solve Any Puzzle
A complete solutions guide for TicTacGo.org – with pictures
Every Tic-Tac-Go puzzle has an answer built right into the game, and this guide shows you exactly where to click to see it. It also teaches the method behind the answers, so that tomorrow's board takes you two minutes instead of twenty – and finishes with a complete, move-by-move solution to Puzzle 001 in pictures.
The Three Rules Every Answer Obeys
Before any solution makes sense, three rules have to be clear. Every answer on this page – and every answer the game plays back for you – is just these three rules applied in the right order.
- Three O's in a row wins – horizontally or vertically. Diagonals do not count.
- You are an O. Your round player piece completes lines just like a real O piece, which is why so many solutions end with you simply stepping into the gap.
- Three X's in a row loses instantly – even by accident, even on the move that would have won.
Where to Click to Reveal the Answer
You never need to search the internet for a Tic-Tac-Go answer: the game carries a verified solution for every single puzzle, and it will play that solution out for you on the board. Here is exactly where to click.
Check the puzzle number in the panel
The panel that slides in shows a small preview of the board you are on, its number (Puzzle 001) and its name (“Tutorial”). If that is not the puzzle you want the answer to, close the panel and use ‹ Back, Next ›, or click the puzzle name to open the full selector grid, then come back.
Press Solve – the answer plays itself out
The outlined Solve button is the answer button. Press it and your player piece walks the whole winning route on its own, pushing every piece into place until three O's light up green. If the button ever reads Solving…, the game is searching for a route; Stop ends the playback early so you can take over.
Step through the answer one move at a time
Watching a solution at full speed teaches you very little. The two wide arrow buttons under the board rewind and replay your move history: tap ◀ to walk backwards through the answer and ▶ to walk forwards again, one move per tap. Hold either button to scrub quickly. On a keyboard, Z and Y do the same job.
Does using Solve count as cheating? No – but it is honest about it. A puzzle finished with Solve, or with the fast-forward button, is not saved as a personal best score. Press R to reset the board and play the route yourself, and your fewest-moves and fastest-time record will be recorded properly.
The 5-Step Method for Solving It Yourself
Answers are more satisfying when you find them. Almost every Tic-Tac-Go board yields to the same routine, and it is the routine the shipped solutions follow: work backwards from the finish rather than forwards from your feet.
Count the O's before you move
You need three O's, and you are one of them – so on most boards you only have to arrange two pieces. Find every O on the board first. Boards with exactly two O's have exactly one job to do.
Pick the finishing line, not the first push
Look for two O's already sharing a row or a column, or one push away from sharing one. That row or column is your target line. Mark the empty square that completes it – that square is where you will finish.
Check the X's for an accidental loss
Before committing, scan the X pieces. If two X's already share a line, never push a third X into it – and remember that the piece you push out of your way has to land somewhere. Losing on move nine of a ten-move plan is the most common way to fail a board.
Walk the route backwards in your head
You push a piece by standing on the opposite side of it, so the question is never “where do I go?” but “where must I stand?”. Trace the path from the finishing square back to where you are now, and note which squares must stay empty for you to pass.
Test it – undo costs nothing
There is no move limit and no penalty for experimenting. Push, look, and press Z if it looked wrong. The only irreversible thing in Tic-Tac-Go is walking away from the tab.
Worked Example: The Puzzle 001 Answer
Puzzle 001, “Tutorial”, is the board every player meets first, and its answer takes six moves. Two X's sit in the middle of the board and the two O's are parked on the far right – one on the top row, one on the bottom row, both in the last column. That is your clue: they already share a column, and the square between them is empty. Everything else is about getting there.
→ ↓ → ↑ → →
The full six-move answer in arrow keys – each frame below shows the board after one of them.
Why that answer works
Three details in this six-move answer repeat on nearly every later board:
- The winning line was already half-built. Nobody had to move an O at all – the two O's in the last column were the answer from move zero.
- The detour was the real puzzle. Moves 2 and 3 look like wasted steps, but pushing the X sideways would have been a dead end; going under it and pushing it up clears the lane in one shot.
- The X's had to be checked. Move 4 puts two X's next to each other on the top row. A third X on that row would have ended the puzzle instantly – there wasn't one, which is what made the push safe.
Why You Get Stuck (and How to Unstick)
When a board feels impossible, it is almost always one of these four situations rather than a puzzle without an answer – every puzzle in the archive is checked against a solver before it ships.
1. You pushed a piece into a dead square
A piece can only move if the square directly behind it is open and empty. Against a wall or in a corner, that square does not exist. If a needed O has gone dead, hold the rewind button until you are back before the mistake – or press R to start the board fresh.
2. You are trying to push two pieces at once
Only one piece moves per push. Two pieces stacked in a line will not budge, no matter how many times you walk into them – the player just bumps. Go around and push from a different side.
3. You are building the line in the wrong place
If completing a line requires moving an O twice around an obstacle, look for a different line. Many boards have two possible finishing lines and only one of them is reachable.
4. You are ignoring the X's
Losing is a real outcome, not a formality. Any push that slides an X next to two other X's ends the run. When a board is dense with X's, plan the X you must move first, then build your own line around the result.
Controls Cheat Sheet
| Action | Keyboard | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Move / push | ← ↑ → ↓ or W A S D (hold to keep going) | Swipe anywhere on the board |
| Undo one move | Z | The ◀ button below the board |
| Redo one move | Y | The ▶ button below the board |
| Scrub through your moves | Hold Z or Y | Hold either arrow button to accelerate |
| Reset the puzzle | R | Rewind all the way to the start |
| See the answer | — | Menu button → Solve |
| Change puzzle | — | ‹ Back / Next ›, or tap the puzzle name for the full grid |
Answers FAQ
Where do I find the answer to today's puzzle?
In the game itself. Load today's puzzle, open the menu with the smiley button, and press Solve. The route you watch is a verified winning solution for that exact board – the same one this page walks through for Puzzle 001.
How do I get the answer to an older puzzle?
Click the puzzle name at the top of the board to open the selector grid, choose the puzzle number you want, then use Solve. The whole archive stays open – a tick marks each puzzle you have already finished.
Is there a shortest possible answer?
Yes, and the game keeps score of it for you. Your best result per puzzle is stored in your browser as fewest moves plus fastest time, so the real challenge after seeing an answer is beating it – Puzzle 001 can be finished in six moves.
The Solve button is greyed out. Why?
It is disabled while the game is searching for a route on an unusually complex board, and while a solution is already playing (where it becomes Stop). Give it a moment, or press R to reset and try again.
Do the answers change every day?
A new puzzle unlocks daily, so the answer changes with it – but old puzzles keep their solutions forever. Nothing expires and nothing is removed from the archive.
Can I lose after seeing the answer?
Yes – replaying an answer by hand is where most losses happen, usually by pushing an X one square too far. Rewind, look at where the third X would land, and try again.
Ready to test it? Head back to the Tic-Tac-Go board, load any puzzle, and use this page's method before you use the Solve button. If you want the background on where the game came from, the About page has the story, and you can always reach us through Contact.