My First 2-player board game without a board

When we think back on board games, people usually jump to the big names: Monopoly, Checkers, Chess. The classics with boxes and boards and pieces you can lose under the couch

I’d beg to differ. I think the first board game most of us ever played didn’t even have a board. It was tic tac toe!

It's a weird one. It’s considered a board game, but also not. It doesn’t have a board. Sometimes it’s a napkin. Sometimes it’s a chalkboard. Sometimes it’s lines scratched into sand or snow. And yet, it’s beautiful!

No matter where you’re from, you’ve played this game. At some point. With someone. I learned it as el gato. Yup, the cat. Why? Because it’s the same word Chileans used for what we now call a hashtag, before that even became a thing. Hearing people call the # a hashtag? YUCK🤢 But that's a story for another day

You probably learned this game as tic tac toe. Same game. Same grid. Same little Xs and Os fighting for dominance. I remember playing it with classmates. I remember playing it with my dad. And now, decades later, I play it with my niece. That’s wild!

It’s also the kind of game you don’t really teach. It just clicks. It spreads by osmosis. Adults see the patterns instantly, but that magic moment when a kid realizes they can block you? That’s where potential board game hobbyists are born!

With Valentine’s around the corner, I’ve been looking at my shelves differently. All the 2-player games we own, the ones we play constantly, and the ones gathering dust. It's time to play, review, and cull. So, what was the actual first 2-player game you ever played? For me, I think I have to say Tic Tac Toe!