# Three in a Row: a tic tac toe review game for the whole class

> A tic tac toe review game for the whole class: answer right to place your team's sticker, three in a row scores +5. Free, on one screen, no student devices.

Source: https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/three-in-a-row/ · Updated 2026-10-29

Three in a Row is a tic tac toe review game for the whole class: teams answer questions, and every right answer lets them place a sticker on a shared 3×3 board. It suits ages 6 and up, works with any subject, and needs one screen at the front.

![The Three in a Row board on a flower meadow: a red heart sticker in square 3, squares numbered 1 to 9, and a sign showing +1 per sticker and +5 for three in a row](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/three.webp "Team 1 answered right and put its heart in square 3. The panel shows the scoring: +1 per sticker, +5 for a line.")

## At a glance

| Players | The whole class in 2–4 teams free (up to 8 with Oly Pro) |
| Time | 10–20 minutes for 12 questions |
| Works with | Every English question format and every subject |
| Best for | Quick review, mixed-ability classes, touch screens |
| You need | One screen (projector, TV or interactive display) and your phone |

## How to play Three in a Row

1. **Make or pick a question set.** Snap a textbook page, paste a word list, type a topic, paste your own questions, or open a set from the [free library](https://olyclass.com/library/).
2. **Pick Three in a Row, set the teams and start.** Teams take turns; the screen shows whose turn it is.
3. **Play.** A right answer lets the team pick an empty square (1 to 9) for its sticker: +1. If the sticker completes three in a row, across, down or diagonally, the team gets +5 more and the board clears for a new round. A wrong answer places nothing. When the questions run out, the most points wins.

## Rules and scoring

- **Each sticker:** +1.
- **Three in a row:** +5 on top of the sticker, so +6 for that pick. The line lights up and a new round starts on an empty board.
- **Full board, no line:** it clears and a new round starts, with no bonus.
- **Blocking counts.** A taken square can't be picked again, so a team can drop its sticker where another team needed it.

You can switch these in the lobby before the game, or mid-game from the settings button:

- **Timer:** none, 10, 20, 30 or 60 seconds. Running out counts as a wrong answer.
- **Wrong answers lose a point.** Off by default; scores never go below zero.
- **Steal:** off by default. When on, after a miss, another team may answer. If it's right, that team places the sticker, but gets no extra turn.
- **Double or triple questions:** the points from that pick are multiplied.
- **Hide the score**, a seasonal theme, and full, calm or no effects.

![A picture question over the board: a cartoon giraffe, "What is it?" and four answers: giraffe, panda, zebra, whale](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/three-ask.webp "The question covers the board. If Team 1 answers right, the board opens for its sticker.")

The class sees the question; you see the answer on your phone and tap Correct or Not yet. On a touch screen, students can tap a multiple-choice answer themselves.

## What you can teach with it

**English:** every format works: picture, word, listen, spell, meaning, sentence order and your own questions.

- **Animals or food at A1:** quick picture questions for young learners.
- **Irregular past tense:** your own questions like "go → ?", or spelling *went*, *saw*, *bought*.
- **Sentence order at A2:** put the words of a sentence from the lesson in order.

**Other subjects** use multiple choice, true/false and open questions:

- **Math:** times tables or mental arithmetic.
- **Science:** true/false facts about plants, the body or weather.
- **History and geography:** capitals, dates, "who was…" questions.

## Tips from the classroom

- **Class of 40?** Make 4 teams of 10. Add a class list and Oly calls one student per team for each question, so everyone gets a turn.
- **Let the team choose the square.** Give them five seconds to agree; arguing about where to block is half the fun.
- **Turn on steal** when teams drift off during other teams' turns.
- **Use a 20-second timer** once the class knows the words.
- **One team far ahead?** Mark the last questions as double: a line on a double question is worth 12.

## Play it without a screen

- Draw a 3×3 grid on the whiteboard and give each team a symbol (X, O, triangle, star).
- Ask one team at a time. A right answer lets them draw their symbol in an empty square.
- A square is 1 point, three in a row 5 more; then wipe the grid.

The screen version adds pictures, sound and pronunciation, keeps score for you, and lets you run it from your phone while you walk the room.

## Questions teachers ask

### Is Three in a Row free?

Yes. The game, the library and your own typed questions are free. The free plan also includes 10 AI question sets a month (3 from photos) and up to 4 teams; Oly Pro allows up to 8.

### Do students need devices?

No. The class plays on one screen. Only you use a phone, as the remote: scan the QR code or type the 6-digit PIN.

### How many students can play?

Any number. Split the class into 2 to 4 teams on the free plan, or up to 8 with Oly Pro; all teams share one board.

### Can I use my own questions?

Yes. Paste them as `question | answer | wrong, wrong`, type them in the editor, or import a public Kahoot link.

### What happens when the board fills up?

If all nine squares are taken and nobody made a line, the board clears and a new round begins. Points already won stay.

### Can a team lose points?

Only if you turn on "wrong answers lose a point". It's off by default, and a score never drops below zero.

If your class likes this, try [Line of Four](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/line-of-four/) for a bigger board, or [Team Bingo](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/team-bingo/), where every team has its own card.