Dabba — Join the Dots, Claim the Boxes
A few dots, one line at a time, and suddenly the whole group is watching a gap. Dabba is a local dots-and-boxes game for two, three or four players sharing one device. Fill the fourth side of a small square to claim it, then draw again. The board is simple enough to start straight away, but the last few unclaimed boxes can turn a quiet move into a long chain. Choose a small board for a short break or a larger one when everyone wants another round.
Set out the board
Choose two, three or four players before starting. A five-by-five dot grid contains sixteen boxes; a seven-by-seven dot grid contains thirty-six. These sizes count the dots, not the boxes. Every player begins with zero points. The player panels show a number as well as a colour, and each completed box carries its owner’s number.
Player 1 begins. Tap the space between two neighbouring dots to draw a horizontal or vertical line. Diagonal lines are not allowed, and an existing line cannot be drawn again. Lines belong to the board: any player may complete a box even if someone else drew its first three sides.
The fourth side changes the turn
Most moves draw a line and pass the turn to the next player. A line that completes a box behaves differently: the current player gets one point and must take another move. If that next move completes another box, the extra turn continues. The turn passes only when a move finishes no new box, or the board is finished.
One line can close two boxes if it is the shared missing side between them. Both boxes go to the player who draws it, adding two points. That still grants one further move, not a stored supply of two moves. The board fills each claimed box and updates the score immediately so the group can follow the chain.
How the game ends
Play ends as soon as every box is claimed. The highest score wins. If two or more players share the highest score, they share the win; the game does not invent a tie-breaker. Each box is worth one point, so all player totals add up to sixteen on the small board or thirty-six on the larger one.
Dabba is manually played on the shared device. It has no bot making moves for absent players and no remote matchmaking. Sit together, watch the active player number, and pass the phone after a non-scoring move. Scores describe this local board and are not a verified global ranking.
Look one move beyond the empty side
Early on, a useful question is whether your line gives someone an easy fourth side on their next turn. Making a third side can offer them a box. Later, several nearly complete boxes may form a chain: taking one can force a sequence of further captures. Count the connected boxes before opening that chain.
Taking the immediately available box is not always the strongest long-term choice. In a two-player ending, experienced players sometimes leave a small gift to control a larger chain. You do not need to learn that tactic before playing. Start by noticing which lines score now, which create a third side, and where the next player will have to move.
Controls and the paper version
Tap the middle of a gap between dots. With a keyboard, Left and Right cycle through the remaining legal lines, while Space draws the highlighted one. The active line has a coloured dashed highlight before it is placed. Pause is available if someone needs to leave the screen, and gentle move sounds can be muted.
For a paper game, draw the same dot grid and use initials inside completed boxes. The Khel Kitab Dabba guide includes a diagram, a two-box example, house variations and a printable rule card. A rectangular grid works on paper too: decide the size and the players before the first line so everyone knows the number of points available.
Read the table-game rules in Khel Kitab →
Questions before your next round
Why did I get another turn?
Completing at least one box gives you another move. Keep playing until you draw a line that completes no box, or finish the board.
Who owns a box if different players drew its sides?
The player who draws its fourth side claims the whole box. The earlier sides do not reserve it for anyone.
Can one line claim two boxes?
Yes. A shared missing side can complete the two boxes next to it. You receive two points and one further move.
How many boxes are on each board?
The 5×5 dot grid has 16 boxes. The 7×7 dot grid has 36 boxes. A grid’s dot count is one greater than its box count in each direction.
Is there a computer opponent?
No. This version is pass-and-play for 2–4 people on one device. Each person selects their own lines.