You know that feeling when you see something so beautiful and unnecessary that you immediately want it? That’s exactly what happened when I discovered Bionic’s Tic Tac Toe set. And before you ask, yes, it costs $600. Yes, it’s just Tic Tac Toe. And yes, I’m completely obsessed with it.
Paris-based design studio Bionic just dropped this made-to-order piece, and it’s causing quite the stir in design circles. Not because it reinvents the wheel or solves some massive problem, but because it does the opposite. It exists purely to make you pause, sit down, and actually be present for a moment. In a world where everything screams productivity and optimization, here’s a luxury object that says “hey, maybe just play a simple game for three minutes.”
Designer: Bionic
The base is machined from a single solid block of aluminum, which immediately tells you this isn’t your childhood travel game. It’s heavy, grounded, and precise in a way that makes you want to run your fingers along its edges. The grid isn’t painted or etched on after the fact. It’s formed through machining alone, no decorations, no unnecessary flourishes. Just clean lines and intention.
Then there are the playing pieces, and this is where things get really interesting. The O’s are five mirror-polished stainless steel pawns that catch the light beautifully. The X’s are five black anodized aluminum pawns, each individually CNC machined and finished. Bionic specifically designed them to feel distinct in your hand, because this isn’t about rushing through a game. It’s about the tactile experience, the weight of each piece, the contrast between materials.
I’ll be honest, when I first saw the price tag, I laughed. Six hundred dollars for Tic Tac Toe? But then I started thinking about what we’re actually willing to spend money on. We drop thousands on desks and chairs for productivity. We buy standing desks and ergonomic everything because we’re optimizing our workspace for maximum output. But what about objects that exist purely to give us a break from all that?
Bionic wrote something in their product description that really stuck with me: “Some objects exist to help us work faster. Others exist to give us a moment away from that rhythm.” This Tic Tac Toe set is firmly in the second category. It’s designed to live on your desk or coffee table as a reminder that not everything needs to justify itself through efficiency. And honestly? That feels kind of revolutionary right now. We’re so addicted to hustle culture and productivity hacks that an object designed specifically for pausing feels almost subversive. It’s a sculpture you can interact with, a conversation starter that actually starts conversations instead of just sitting there looking pretty.
The made-to-order aspect adds another layer. This isn’t mass-produced. You’re not going to see these everywhere. It’s exclusive in the truest sense, crafted specifically after you order it. For collectors and design enthusiasts, that matters. It’s the difference between owning furniture and owning a piece. Is it practical? Absolutely not. You could play Tic Tac Toe with literally anything. Pen and paper works just fine. But that’s missing the entire point. This is about elevating something simple and familiar into an experience. It’s about materials, craft, and intention. It’s about having an object in your space that exists purely because it’s beautiful and makes you smile.
Bionic specializes in precision-machined aluminum accessories and workspace tools, all crafted in Paris with that distinctly European sensibility where form and function aren’t at odds. Their whole philosophy is about creating beautiful, thoughtfully designed products that are tools for daily life. This Tic Tac Toe set might be their most purely playful creation yet. So will I spend $600 on this? Maybe not today. But I love that it exists. I love that someone looked at Tic Tac Toe and thought, “what if we made this as beautiful as humanly possible?”
