Tic Tac Toe Thing (altctrl – video)

Tic Tac Toe Thing reimagines the classic game of tic-tac-toe by introducing a new strategic layer: the ability to cancel an opponent’s move—except for the most recent one. This simple yet powerful twist transforms a familiar folk game into a dynamic battle of wits, where adaptation and counterplay are as crucial as making a winning line. The game’s materiality also shifts from the traditional paper grid to an interactive LED-based interface, blending tactile engagement with digital aesthetics.

Presented as part of this year’s festival theme on folk games, Tic Tac Toe Thing embodies the spirit of appropriation and reinvention. It takes a universally recognized pastime and reworks its core mechanics, demonstrating how folk games can evolve through new rules and new mediums. By shifting tic-tac-toe into an interactive, light-based experience, the piece highlights the playful tension between tradition and innovation, inviting players to engage with an old game in a fresh, unexpected way.

We share here a video by its creator Shuang Cai hoping to inspire new reinventions of the game.