TicTacToe multi agents in Grok Bot

Install two Grok Bots that play each other for real (no simulated moves), show an ASCII board after every change, and save each finished game. Start from a blank account: no folder yet, and neither Messenger1 nor Messenger2 exists.

What to send people

1. This guide
2. The protocol file TICTACTOE.md — download it at the bottom of this post

Step-by-step

1. 1

   Create Messenger2 first.

   In Grok Bot, create a new agent/bot the same way you create any new Grok Bot. Name it Messenger2.

   Open its per-agent settings: click the agent name in the chat header (or Cmd+Shift+I), then the gear next to the pane’s X. Paste this as the description:

   Messenger2 descriptionCopy

   You are messenger2 in a two-agent Tic-Tac-Toe experiment.
   
   You play only against the Grok Bot named messenger1 (Messenger1).
   
   Follow the Tic-Tac-Toe protocol in:
   /workspace/tictactoe/TICTACTOE.md
   
   When messenger1 starts a game:
   1. Reply with exactly circle or cross FIRST.
   2. Only AFTER that, ask: Do you want to go first?
   3. Play using moves like: circle 1   or   cross 5
   4. Before every move, list empty cells 1-9 and pick only an empty one.
   5. Show the user an ASCII board after your symbol pick, each move, and game end.
   6. Once you know the game is over, send NO more messages for that game.
   
   Never simulate messenger1. You must actually communicate with messenger1.

2. 2

   Create Messenger1.

   Create a second Grok Bot named Messenger1. In its per-agent settings, paste:

   Messenger1 descriptionCopy

   You are messenger1 in a two-agent Tic-Tac-Toe experiment.
   
   You play only against the Grok Bot named messenger2 (Messenger2).
   
   Follow the Tic-Tac-Toe protocol in:
   /workspace/tictactoe/TICTACTOE.md
   
   You initiate every game and save the final result of every completed game.
   
   Never simulate messenger2. You must actually communicate with messenger2.
   
   Show the user an ASCII board after symbols, first-player choice, every move, and game end.
   
   Once the game is over: save the result file, tell the user, then do not message messenger2 about that game again.

3. 3

   Give Messenger1 the protocol file.

   Open the Messenger1 chat. Attach TICTACTOE.md (or paste its full contents) and send:

   Create folder + protocolCopy

   Create the directory: /workspace/tictactoe/
   Create the file: /workspace/tictactoe/TICTACTOE.md
   Use the Tic-Tac-Toe protocol I provided as the contents of that file.
   After creating it, read the file back and confirm that you understand the protocol.
   Do not start a game yet.

   Wait until Messenger1 confirms it read the protocol. Do not start a game yet.

4. 4

   Comms check (do not play for Messenger2).

   Still in the Messenger1 chat, send:

   Comms testCopy

   Send a message to @messenger2:
   "Tic-Tac-Toe communication test. Reply with READY."
   Do not reply on behalf of messenger2. Wait for messenger2's actual response.

   Success looks like Messenger2 actually answering READY in Messenger1’s chat.

5. 5

   Play one complete game.

   In the Messenger1 chat:

   One gameCopy

   Read /workspace/tictactoe/TICTACTOE.md.
   Play exactly ONE complete Tic-Tac-Toe game with @messenger2.
   You are messenger1. The other Bot is messenger2.
   Follow the communication protocol exactly.
   IMPORTANT: Do not simulate messenger2. Every choice and move belonging to messenger2 must actually come from messenger2.
   When the game is complete, save the result to:
   /workspace/tictactoe/game-<game-id>.txt
   Then stop.

   You should see an ASCII board after each step, for example:

   Game 2026-09-03-150859
      |   |
   ---------
      | O |
   ---------
      |   |
   Last: circle 5
   Empty: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
   Status: in progress

   When finished, ask Messenger1 to show /workspace/tictactoe/. You should see TICTACTOE.md plus a unique game-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.txt.

   

   

6. 6

   Optional: recurring matches (Messenger1 only).

   Grok Bot routines cannot run every 2 minutes. Fastest interval is 5 minutes. In the Messenger1 chat:

   Create routineCopy

   Create a recurring routine named:
   Tic-Tac-Toe Messenger Match
   
   Schedule: */5 * * * *   (every 5 minutes, minutes 0/5/10/15…)
   
   Every run, perform the following:
   1. Read /workspace/tictactoe/TICTACTOE.md.
   2. Start one new Tic-Tac-Toe game with @messenger2.
   3. Follow the protocol exactly.
   4. Never simulate messenger2.
   5. Finish the entire game.
   6. Save the completed game result under /workspace/tictactoe/
   7. Use a unique game ID and never overwrite an existing game.
   8. End the routine run after that game's result has been successfully written.
   Only messenger1 may initiate a new game.

   Known scheduler quirk: the first */5 slot after create/enable is often skipped; the second slot usually fires. Pause the routine when you are done testing.

   Confirm the routine in Messenger1’s info pane (click the name in the chat header, or Cmd+Shift+I). Routines are listed there.

Rules that must stay true

• Messenger2 answers circle or cross before asking who goes first.
• Moves are only circle N or cross N with N from 1–9, and only on empty cells.
• If no empty cells remain, stop moving and resolve win or tie.
• Both bots show the ASCII board to you after their state changes.
• After game over: no more bot-to-bot messages for that game.
• Messenger1 writes one new result file per game and never overwrites an old one.

If something looks wrong

Delete later

To remove a bot: in the sidebar, right-click its row and choose Delete (permanent, with confirm). Pause or delete the routine from Messenger1’s info pane first if you added one.

Get the protocol file

Everything above depends on one shared file. Download it, then attach it in step 3.

Shared folder: /workspace/tictactoe/ · Protocol: TICTACTOE.md · Players: Messenger1 + Messenger2 only