Skillmatics' Boxed, also called Magnetic Dots & Boxes (item SKILL1526CB), the box our link goes toPhoto: Skillmatics
What's in the box: the board, 70+ classic and 30+ master pieces, 190+ dots and a bagPhoto: Skillmatics
Place a piece; close a box and claim it with your dotPhoto: Skillmatics
For 2 to 4 playersPhoto: Skillmatics
Video

Family game

Boxed

The school-notebook game of dots and boxes, on a magnetic board

2–4players · best with 2
10–20 minplaying time
5+recommended age
Learning curve
Very easy1 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Pure skill, no luck
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
Under a minute
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Children from about 5 who are ready for a first game of planning ahead

Think twice if You are happy with pencil and paper; the basic game is the same

How we rate it

Learning curve. One rule to learn: close a box, claim it and go again. Skillmatics says five minutes to learn, and the master pieces add a little more to explain. It sits with Connect 4 at 1 on our scale.

Luck & skill. No dice and no cards: every box is won, or given away, by the players' own moves.

Interaction. Every piece you place can set up a box for the next player, so you are always watching what your opponent can do next.

Set-up. Put the board on the table, give each player the dots of one colour and keep the pieces within everyone's reach.

Reading. Nothing to read during play.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

Is Boxed right for you?

Great if

  • Children from about 5 who are ready for a first game of planning ahead
  • Parents who played dots and boxes in school notebooks and want to pass it on
  • Two siblings, or a family of up to four, after school or in the holidays
  • A sturdy gift from an Indian company that needs no batteries or screens

Skip it if

  • You are happy with pencil and paper; the basic game is the same
  • Toddlers share the room; there are nearly 300 small magnetic dots and pieces, and the box warns about small parts
  • You want luck or surprises to even things out in a mixed group; it is pure strategy, so the more practised player usually wins

How Boxed plays

Dots and boxes is the game many of us played on the back pages of school notebooks: take turns drawing a line between two dots, and whoever closes a square claims it. Boxed turns this into a magnetic board game. Instead of drawing lines, you place magnetic pieces on a 13-inch board, and instead of writing your initial in a square, you claim it with a magnetic dot in your colour: pink, green, purple or blue.

  • Time to teach: about 5 minutes.
  • Reading and language: Nothing to read during play: you place pieces and claim boxes with coloured dots. The rules can be explained in any language; Skillmatics' how-to-play pictures are in English.
Place a piece; close a box and claim it with your dot · Photo: Skillmatics

Magnetic Dots & Boxes | Classic Strategy Board Game | Ages 5+ | Skillmatics · Skillmatics · Official

Choose a video · Watch right here

If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Place

    Put one magnetic piece on the grid.

  2. 2
    Claim

    If your piece closes a box, claim it with a dot in your colour and take another turn.

  3. 3
    Win

    When no moves are left, the player with the most boxes wins.

Read the official rulesBoxed: how to play (Skillmatics India product page) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Boxed goes

On your turn, place one piece on the grid. If it completes a box, put one of your dots inside to claim it and take another turn. If it doesn't, play passes on. Skillmatics says the pieces come in different shapes, so a piece can help you build a box or block your opponent's next one.

There are two kinds of piece: more than 70 classic pieces and more than 30 master pieces, which Skillmatics says are for special moves. When no moves are left, whoever has claimed the most boxes wins.

The strategy is the same as on paper: avoid placing the third side of a box, because that hands it to the next player, and late in the game try to make your opponent open up a long chain of boxes for you. Young children pick up the rules in minutes; seeing a few moves ahead comes with practice.

For families: the board is double-sided and a cloth bag holds the pieces. Count the dots and pieces back into the bag after a game if there are toddlers or pets at home.

What's in the box

What's in the box: the board, 70+ classic and 30+ master pieces, 190+ dots and a bag · Photo: Skillmatics
  • 1Double-sided magnetic game board
    13 x 13 inches (about 33 cm square)
  • –Magnetic dots
    more than 190, in pink, green, purple and blue, for claiming boxes
  • –Classic pieces
    more than 70 magnetic pieces
  • –Master pieces
    more than 30, for special moves
  • 1Cloth storage bag
  • 1Instruction manual

Box: 1 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.

Contents are from Skillmatics India's product page and its contents picture (SKU SKILL1526CB, barcode 8904279514546); the listing we link gives the same board size and counts. Skillmatics gives the dots and pieces only as 190+, 70+ and 30+; the box front says 190+ magnetic dots and 100+ magnetic pieces. Boxed comes in one edition and is also sold with Sizzle in Skillmatics' Sizzle, Box & Play Bundle.

Where to buy

Check price on Amazon.in
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Boxed is a Skillmatics India product, made here (the back of the box is printed 'Made in India') and sold here, so there is no import to look for. On Amazon.in it is sold as Magnetic Dots & Boxes, and our Amazon.in link goes to Skillmatics' own box.

Before you choose

  • The listing title and the box should name Skillmatics; the box front shows coloured magnetic pieces and dots on the board, ages 5-99 and the line 'Easy to Play, Hard to Put Away'.
  • Check the contents: a double-sided 13-inch magnetic board, 190+ magnetic dots, 70+ classic pieces, 30+ master pieces, a cloth bag and an instruction manual.
  • The box carries barcode 8904279514546.
  • Dots-and-boxes pads or boards without master pieces and coloured magnetic dots are different products.

What reviewers and players say

We found no independent reviews or forum threads about Boxed yet; it appeared on Skillmatics' site in late 2025. Customer reviews on Skillmatics' own site are all four or five stars: people like that the pieces stick firmly to the board, that the master pieces can turn a game around, and that the 13-inch board is a good size. Parents say children of 5 to 7 learn it quickly while adults still enjoy the strategy. Underneath is classic dots and boxes, which strategy explainers treat as simple to learn and deeper than it looks.

What people love

  • Magnetic pieces stay put and click into place, so a nudge doesn't spoil the board
  • Master pieces add twists that can turn a losing game around
  • A big, sturdy double-sided board, and a cloth bag that keeps the pieces together
  • Young children learn it quickly, and adults still enjoy the planning

Common complaints

  • No complaints were visible in the reviews on Skillmatics' site, but those reviews are hosted by the maker and undated
  • Lots of small pieces and dots to keep track of, with a small-parts warning on the box
  • Skillmatics' online rules don't explain what the master pieces do or how the board's two sides differ
Based on 4 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Questions people ask about Boxed

Is Boxed the same as Skillmatics' Magnetic Dots & Boxes?

Yes. Skillmatics' Indian website calls it 'Boxed: A Magnetic Game of Dots & Boxes', while its YouTube video and the listing we link call it Magnetic Dots & Boxes. It is the same Skillmatics game, item SKILL1526CB.

How is Boxed different from playing dots and boxes on paper?

The aim is the same: close boxes and claim more than anyone else. Boxed swaps pencil lines for magnetic pieces of different shapes on a 13-inch board, uses coloured magnetic dots to mark whose box is whose, and adds master pieces for special moves. Nothing gets used up, so you can play again straight away.

What age is Boxed for?

Skillmatics says 5 and up, and the box reads 5-99. The listing we link says 3+, but the box warns about small parts for children under 3, and the planning involved suits children from about 5.

How many people can play Boxed?

Two to four. There are dots in four colours, one for each player. Like the paper game, it is at its sharpest with two.

Is Boxed made in India?

Yes. Skillmatics gives India as the country of origin on its own product page, and the back of the box, in Skillmatics' own photo, is printed 'Made in India', with Grasper Global Private Limited, Mumbai, as maker.

Game facts

Publisher
Skillmatics (Grasper Global Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, India)
In India
Skillmatics, an Indian company (parent company Grasper Global, Mumbai), which makes and sells the game in India
First published
2025
Players
2–4
Barcode
8904279514546
Language
No reading – Nothing to read during play: you place pieces and claim boxes with coloured dots. The rules can be explained in any language; Skillmatics' how-to-play pictures are in English.
Box size and weight
1 kg
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.