Is It Possible to Beat Google’s Impossible Tic Tac Toe?

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: March 20, 2023 References

Are you looking to hone your tic tac toe skills and challenge Google’s infamous Impossible mode? The truth is, Impossible tic tac toe is designed to be unbeatable—there’s no way to win outright. However, that doesn’t mean you have to lose either! You can easily ensure that you’ll never lose another tic tac toe game with a little strategy. We’ll show you how to tie with the computer on Impossible, beat it on Medium, and even implement a simple hack to make it look like you won the game on Impossible.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Playing to a Draw in Impossible Tic Tac Toe

1
Put your first X in any corner. You go first when playing Google tic tac toe and automatically get X assigned as your symbol. Choose any corner to place your X in; it doesn’t matter which corner you pick for your first move. This is typically an expert player’s first choice, as it offers the most possibilities going forward.^{[1]
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- In Impossible mode, the computer will typically respond by placing an O in the center space of the board.
- It’s possible to win against normal opponents even if they place their O in the center space. However, since Impossible mode is programmed not to lose, you’ll tie instead.
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Place your next X on the opposite corner. Find the spot across the board diagonally from your first X and place your second one there.^{[2]
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Research source} This cuts off 2 more potential routes to victory for the computer, bringing you closer to a draw on Impossible mode.
- When playing against a human opponent, controlling most corners gives you more routes to victory.
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3
Block the computer from winning with your next X. On its first couple of moves, the computer will typically put its first O in the center space (as usual) and its second O in the lower middle space once you place two Xs in diagonal corners. Therefore, spend this turn placing your X in the top middle space to block the computer’s win.^{[3]
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- It might feel like you’re chasing the computer from this point on, but remember that the game is programmed to eliminate all errors.
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Keep playing reactively, blocking the computer until you reach a draw. The computer will try to win diagonally next, so place your next X whichever corner space is needed to stop it (depending on the corner spaces you took at the beginning of the game). Finally, the computer will try to win horizontally, so place your last X in the left or right middle space.
- Pay close attention to each O the computer puts down, and make sure you catch all of its attempts to win. Since you’ll both be playing without making any mistakes, a draw is the best you (or the computer) can achieve.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Playing to Win in Medium Tic Tac Toe

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Put your first X in any corner. Once again, the best move at the start of any tic tac toe game is to claim a corner at the first opportunity. It’s the easiest move for you to make because there are so many different ways to guarantee a win when you start there. Other spaces have fewer opportunities for you to take advantage of as the game progresses.^{[5]
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- Unlike Impossible mode, the computer likely won’t choose the center space for its first O this time. While that makes this game harder to predict, it gives you more ways to win!
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Place your next X in another corner, with empty space between the Xs. While it might seem like the center space is the logical move, don’t rush yourself! You can trap the game (or any other human opponent) by setting up the perfect winning scenario for yourself. Choose another corner and ensure the computer’s first O isn’t between the Xs.^{[6]
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- For example, if you place your X in the top right corner and the computer places an O in the top center space, your next X should go in the bottom right corner, not the top left.
3
Place your X in the center space or another corner. From here, a couple of formations can guarantee victory—but which one you use will depend on how the computer is playing. Look at the computer’s plays so far and determine which move you can do without getting blocked. You'll have 2 clear routes to victory once your third X is down.^{[7]
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- If the computer hasn’t lined up 2 Os yet, place your next X in a corner. With 3 Xs in 2 corners, you’ll be able to win either horizontally or diagonally.
- If the computer has made a play that forces you to pick the middle space or lose (typically placing Os in the middle left and right spaces), place your X in the middle. This way, you’ll be able to win diagonally in 2 different directions.
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Win the game with the final X in the center or a third corner. You’ve perfectly set up your play; all you have to do now is let the computer block one path and place your final X on the winning spot. Depending on the formation you choose, you’ll either be looking at a diagonal tic tac toe or a straight tic tac toe vertically or horizontally along one side of the board.
- If you chose the 3-corner configuration, place your final X either in the center spot to win diagonally or one of the middle side spots to win a straight tic tac toe.
- If you played with the corner-center configuration, place your final X on the corner space that will allow you to win diagonally on the board.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using “Inspect” to Make It Look Like You Won Impossible Tic Tac Toe

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Bring up Medium tic tac toe and right-click or tap with 2 fingers. Once you have the Medium version of tic tac toe pulled up, the process to reprogram it is simple. Just hover over “Medium” with your mouse and right-click to view your options (or, if you’re on a laptop without a mouse, hover over “Medium” and tap the trackpad with 2 fingers).^{[8]
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Click the “Inspect” option and view the code that pops up. Once you hit “Inspect,” a long page of code will appear on your computer screen. Ignore most of it; the block of code you need will already be highlighted in blue. Click the sideways arrow to the left of the code block so that another block of code becomes visible, and then click a second sideways arrow below the first to reveal the final piece of code.^{[9]
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- The original block of code you’re looking for will look like:
  <g-dropdown-menu-button-caption jscontroller="EbPKJf" data-ddph="" jsaction="rcuQ6b:npT2md">Medium</g-dropdown-menu-button-caption>
- The next block of code revealed after you click the sideways arrow will look like: <g-dropdown-menu-button-caption jscontroller="EbPKJf" data-ddph="" jsaction="rcuQ6b:npT2md">Medium</g-dropdown-menu-button-caption>
- The final block of code revealed after you click the second sideways arrow will be: Medium
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Type “Impossible” in place of “Medium” in the code. Now that you’ve found the code block you need, double-click to highlight the word "Medium." Then, type “Impossible” so that it replaces the original text. Once you’re done, simply click the “x” at the top right of the code window to close it out.^{[10]
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4
Play the game using the new “Impossible” mode. Now, you can play Medium-difficulty tic tac toe on Google while disguising it as Impossible. Keep in mind that this is just for show; there’s no way to beat the true Impossible mode! Still, if you’re dead-set on winning, this is a simple way to beat Google’s tic tac toe without exhausting yourself with tie after tie.
- Take a screenshot of your win to show other people that you beat the game. Use the Print Screen (Prt Sc) button and paste the picture into a Paint document on a PC, or press Command + Shift + 3 simultaneously on a Mac.