Computer Dots

Computer Dots is a video game in the strategy genre originally released in 1984. It is currently playable on DOS.

Computer Dots is a fun little coffee drinking game. It is basically a PC version of the game 'Dots', and was written in 1984, and is a gem for that fact alone.

For the uninitiated, here's the game in a nutshell, as written in the game's own help file: Dots is a complex version of the game that schoolchildren have been playing for at least the last half century. It is difficult to pinpoint when the game originated, but it remains a popular lunchtime pastime in many schools around the country.

When played on paper, rows of dots are drawn on a blank sheet of paper to form a grid of ten to twenty dots. The first player draws a line between any two dots and the second player does the same. Play continues in turn as each player tries to draw lines that prevent the other from completing all sides of a square. If a player succeeds in completing a square, he marks it with his initials to claim it and then takes another turn. When all the dots have been used and no more lines can be drawn, the game ends. Each player then counts the number of squares claimed. The player with the highest score wins.

The computer game is played with the same rules, but the grid of dots is much larger and the computer automatically marks each claimed square and counts the scores as the game progresses. Because of the size of the grid, it is possible to develop extremely complex strategies for claiming squares later in the game, which can last up to 45 minutes'.

Unfortunately, there are a few problems that make the game less than top-notch. The computer opponent is too easy and there is no way to increase its difficulty. There is also no way to play against a friend, but at 30-40 minutes per game, who would want to do that?

The computer also connects dots seemingly at random (unless it sees an opportunity to complete a square, which it always does without fail), so there's not much structure until the board is almost completely filled with lines and the squares finally start to emerge. Even so, the computer is very easy to beat, assuming you are able to concentrate.

The game really wants to be a fun and addictive coffee-time game, like its lunchtime cousin, but unless you're a 3D Realms employee working on Duke Nukem Forever, you probably won't take the 40-minute break needed to finish a game of Computer Dots. However, it's a nice relief from boredom, and the game is fun all the same, if you like simple board games like Go-Moku.

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.