Tic Tac Toe, or noughts and crosses as it is also known, is one of those eternal games that we often learn in childhood, yet its allure continues throughout life.

The origins of Tic Tac Toe date all the way back to Ancient Egypt. The standard game, which we all know and love, requires a row of three Xs or three Os to be created in order to produce a win.

This 3D version of Tic Tac Toe uses different colored balls for each player rather than Xs and Os. Instead of having to connect 3 of your colored balls in a row, it goes one better - in all three dimensions! To win you'll need to connect 4 balls of your color in a row, either vertically, horizontall or diagonally. The playing area itself consists of a set of pins set in a 4x4 arrangement. Hover your mouse over the top of any of the pins and you'll see a ball appear there. If you then click your mouse to release the ball it will slide down the pin and settle at the bottom (or will settle on top of any balls which are already on that particular pin). Up to 4 balls can be stacked on any pin, thus creating the 3D playing area of 4x4x4 possible spaces.

There are 4 different levels of skill that the computer can play at. To begin, you may want to choose a lower level whilst you are getting used to the 3 dimensional nuances of the game. The game allows you to play against the computer or another player who is also using your PC. If you select both colored balls as the computer's color you can even watch the computer battling against itself!

To start playing, choose your preferred color of balls and which color starts and then click the New button which begins the game. At any point during the game you can use the left and right arrow buttons which are located on either side of the New button to spin the game around to the left or right, enabling you to view the game from different angles. This can help you to identify patterns that may be forming and can assist you in planning your strategy for your next moves. At the end of the game, click the New button to play again.

If you wish, you can go back any number of moves at any time by using the double-chevron button to the left of the move number. Clicking this button in quick succession will undo multiple moves. If you find you've overdone the rapid clicking on this button and have gone back too far, the double chevron pointing to the right can be used to redo moves. The back button can also be helpful at the end of the game to enable you to see again the computer's final move if it has won. Doing this will help you identify the line of 4 that this final move has created.

Good luck and enjoy 21st century Tic Tac Toe!