Review: Tic Tac Trek Board Game

Players: 2
Playing Time: 15-20 Minutes
Year Published: 2025

Tic Tac Trek is a brand-new board game from Alley Cat Games—an engaging, light strategy game designed specifically for 2 players. Perfect for travel or a quick gaming session, this abstract board game blends tactical play with a unique terrain-matching twist.

At its core, Tic Tac Trek is simple yet clever. Each tile in the game has a nought on one side and a cross on the other. These double-sided tiles represent various biomes, such as mountains, forests, plains, and more—adding thematic depth to this compact tile-laying game.

Setup is fast: draw two random tiles from the bag and place them next to each other—one nought side up, one cross side up. Each player then takes on the role of either noughts or crosses, and the game begins.

Players take turns drawing a random tile from the bag and placing it orthogonally adjacent to existing tiles, matching terrain types to expand the board. Lake tiles are wild and can be placed next to any other terrain type, allowing for more flexible placement. If there are no legal placements, you're free to put the tile anywhere, which keeps the pace flowing.

Here’s where this family-friendly board game stands out—when you complete three in a row, you mark that tile with one of your nought or cross campfire tiles. These tokens are beautifully crafted wooden pieces and incredibly satisfying to handle.

But unlike classic tic-tac-toe-style games, Tic Tac Trek has a twist. Scoring isn’t based on how many rows you complete—it’s based on how many empty spaces (or “gaps”) surround the tile you just placed. This means you could score zero—or as many as seven—points with a single move! This innovative scoring mechanic adds a whole new layer of tactical depth, making it not just a fun board game, but one that challenges your spatial reasoning and timing.

Because of this, you’re not just chasing lines—you’re strategizing the best tile placements to maximize points, while also watching your opponent and blocking them when needed.

For such a small, travel-sized board game, the component quality is impressive. The wooden tokens feel premium, and the biome artwork on the tiles makes it visually appealing too.

Games of Tic Tac Trek are the perfect length—not too short, not too long. While it’s designed strictly as a 2-player board game, it’s ideal for couples, roommates, or anyone looking for a quick yet thoughtful card-and-token game. It’s also a great game for kids aged 8 and up, especially those who enjoy nature themes and light competition.

If you're searching for a compact, portable board game with solid strategy, charming components, and a fresh take on the classic tic-tac-toe format, Tic Tac Trek is an excellent pick.