XOBrainer is advanced type of five-in-a-row that can be played by two persons or two teams in which the object of the game is to get five-in-a-row in either shape (Xs or Os) or color (green or red), using both your pieces and those of your opponents.

One team has 24 green Xs and 8 pink Xs, while the other team has the reverse: 24 pink Os and 8 green Os. Each team places four of their pieces in the line-up area: three of their main color and one in the opponent's color. Each team then takes turns playing the pieces from their line-up area in numbered order (1-4); when the line-up area is empty, the team refills it as before.
When you achieve five-in-a-row, you earn points based on the placement of the row on the game board. In each square are dots, as on a die, that indicate how many points you score from that square. When a team reaches 20 points, they win a set. The game is won when a team has won three sets. Alternatively a team can win instantly by building a five-in-a-row that passes through one of four "knock out" squares on the game board. Only pieces that both teams can benefit from — pinkXs and green Os — can be played in a knock out square.

XOBrainer comes with four game variations that can be added and combined freely;

• Random: Instead of playing with the standard color order, play with randomly selected pieces, either by drawing four pieces randomly from the X- or O-bags or using a free WebApp.

• Map: Start the game from a new starting point; each team draws a card and places four pieces as depicted on the card – this way there is a new starting point in each round.

• TimeBomb: Set a time limit for each move with the free WebApp.

• Mission: Using the map/mission cards, each player has a secret mission to place pieces as depicted on the card. Each piece a player succeeds in placing gives the player extra points (if they also achieve five-in-a-row).