Is Tic Tac Toe a Game of Skill?

A solved game has a known outcome with perfect play. Tic Tac Toe is solved: draw. That sentence makes people say it is not a game of skill. That is only half right.

What 'solved' actually means

It means that if both players follow a correct policy, the result is forced. It does not mean every human already knows that policy. Chess is not solved and still has blunders. Tic Tac Toe is solved and still has blunders. The difference is that the correct policy fits on an index card.

Where skill lives

• Scanning all eight lines every turn, not just the one you are building.
• Noticing a fork one move early.
• Not getting bored and clicking a side cell.
• Playing at speed without skipping a block.

Those are attention skills. They are real. They also have a ceiling: once both people have the policy, the skill gap collapses to zero and you should play something else, or play for speed, or invite a friend who has not read the policy.

Children and adults

For children, Tic Tac Toe is absolutely a skill game. Learning 'block the threat' is a genuine step. For adults who already know that, the game is a social toy and a drawing tool. Both uses are honest. Pretending there is a deep novel tactic is not.