2C8TT is an Android game from Plumiro that hopes to enable players to play Tic-Tac Toe like they’ve never done before. It channels the core gameplay of the classic board game, but it adds even more spots, uses a circular playing area that’s like a spider’s web and has innovative game modes like “Capture” and “Kick”. To capture someone else’s token is to destroy the token entirely, and reduces the number of tokens they have to play with. Players can capture a token once they get three or more in a row, and players can regularly kick tokens off of the board – for them to be used again – if they roll and get the option to place a token on the same spot as one that’s already there. To win, your opponent’s timer either has hit zero, or you need to capture four of your opponent’s tokens. With 17 spots, capture and kick game modes and a fresh new way to play Tic-Tac Toe, 2C8TT is something fans of the genre should certainly check out.
There are two versions of 2C8TT available in the Play Store. A free version which doesn’t allow players to compete online, and an affordable paid version that does feature online play. Both are based around the same gameplay model however, and they’re both easy to get to grips with. It’s also available from the Amazon appstore as well as on iOS from the App Store.
This main menu might seem a little sparse, but it does include a button, hidden away in the top-right corner, that will launch a step-by-step guide educating players on how to play the game.
This tutorial goes over not just how to roll and then how to move your tokens, but it also gives players an idea of what the Capture gameplay is like, which is one of the bigger additions in 2C8TT and is available in the Capture Mode from the main menu.
With these handy tips and tricks, players will be able to get started with 2C8TT in no time, but this really should be offered to players that are playing 2C8TT for the first time, which doesn’t appear to be the case unfortunately, but it’s good to know that there is a tutorial here.
One quirk that I thought was both good and bad to see in a game like 2C8TT is the option for players to choose the timer themselves. It’s important to note that this isn’t the amount of time for each move, but rather the amount of time each player has for the entire game. It is nice to see a game give players some control over the gameplay, but there were no guidelines on what sort of length is a general length or any suggestions for players.
To play the game, players need to hit the roll button and then assign a token by tapping one of theirs and then tapping the highlighted spot.
While this is something that seems pretty simplistic, the game does heat up, especially when you’re playing with other players that know how to play the game. The fun starts when players start to land on each other’s tokens and can kick their tokens from the board, essentially sending your opponent back a move.
A kick is an interesting addition to Tic-Tac Toe, but overall, I found the game a little bizarre in terms of definitive gameplay. I was constantly wondering exactly what to do, and even with a little practice, I was struggling to figure out how to reach a line of tokens and to win. It does feel as if the roll of your turn has all the deciding in whether or not you win or lose. In capture mode of course, this is very different, as users need to first get a number of tokens in line with each other and then capture their opponents’ tokens. While it might seem a struggle to be able to get to that point, players can move their tokens to the adjacent spot as long as it’s empty, adding some quality strategy to the overall gameplay.
Here, I’ve come close to doing just that, but not close enough. Over time, I did manage to get some much better performances in and I even took a few victories online, which is another great attraction that 2C8TT has on offer.
While I can see that 2C8TT is trying to make Tic-Tac Toe a lot more fun for a younger generation of players, as well as those that have had enough of the old way of playing the game, it can be a little confusing and a little repetitive for players. The included step-by-step tutorial is basic, and the text is not easy to read, even on my Galaxy S7 Edge, but it is nice to see such a feature available, and it does what it’s supposed to. Once players have figured out what they’re doing 2C8TT does have a lot of gameplay to offer, and while it’ll certainly appeal to those with more of a taste for slower-paced games, it can still be exciting. The 17 different spots that users have, along with the Kick and Capture modes make this a Tic-Tac Toe game that few will have experienced before, and the Capture gameplay can be a lot of fun. By capturing four tokens, you win, and it quickly turns 2C8TT into an almost Chess-like sort of game that puts the emphasis on strategy and timing rather than anything else.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – The length of the games is, to a certain extent, up to the players involved and 2C8TT runs well no matter what the hardware.
- Theme (3.5/5) – While the music is somewhat entertaining, there’s only one look and feel here and the background neve changes at all, which will be a little boring for some users out there.
- Features (4/5) – The included tutorial doesn’t start by default and this might mean some players will miss it, but it is good fun once players have been back and read through the tutorial. If there’s one thing that 2C8TT does is that it makes the old formula of Tic-Tac Toe feel fresh again.
- Overall (4/5) – 2C8TT is the sort of game that gives players a lot to get used to it, once players do get used to it, and experiment with the Kick and Capture modes they’ll soon be having a lot of fun to play, especially online against other players.
Pros
- Gives players a fun and fresh take on the old formula of Tic-Tac Toe.
- Doesn’t bombard players with tricky controls or anything like that, it’s all very straightforward in terms of interface and controls.
- Fun music playing in the background should bring a smile to most people’s faces.
- The Capture and Kick game modes give players a lot of scope to play differently depending on how they want to play.
Cons
- Included tutorial is a little difficult to read thanks to some blurry text and doesn’t start by default for first-time players.
- Might become repetitive over time as there are only two game modes and they’re very similar.
All-in-all, 2C8TT is the sort of game that offers players a lot to get their teeth sunk into, and while it’s good to see a tutorial included in the game, it would be much better if this was an interactive tutorial and/or had some sort of voiceovers to further help new players get into the game. If Tic-Tac Toe has been a favorite of yours and your friend’s, then 2C8TT is worth checking out to bring some life back into an otherwise stale genre of gameplay.