Classic Paper & Pen Games

These are the games you played on the back of a notebook in school — Tic-Tac-Toe, Dots and Boxes, Nim, Battleship on graph paper. Simple rules, deep play. Many of these games have been studied by mathematicians and have known optimal strategies, but they remain fun because the human brain doesn't play like a computer. The gap between knowing the theory and executing it under pressure is where the game lives.

• Classic games originally played with pencil and paper, now in digital form
• Quick rounds — most games take under 5 minutes from start to finish
• Deceptively simple rules that hide surprising strategic depth