Gomoku

How to play Gomoku

1. Players take turns placing a stone on a free point of the board. You play black.
2. Line up five stones in a row, a column or a diagonal to win.
3. The computer attacks with its own lines and blocks yours.
4. Choose 2 players for a game with a friend on the same screen.

Tips

• An open three (three stones with both ends free) is a serious threat: block it at once.
• A four with one open end must be blocked immediately.
• Build two threats at the same time: the opponent can only answer one.
• Play close to the action: stones far from the others rarely help.
• On Easy and Medium, and with two players, Undo takes back your last move along with the computer's answer. On Hard, every move counts.

About Gomoku

Gomoku, also called five in a row, comes from East Asia, where it is played on the board of the game of go. Simple to learn, it rewards foresight and sharp attention.

The computer scores every free point by the lines it would build for itself and the lines it would break for you. On Easy it misses some threats, on Hard it weighs defense a little more than attack.

Points and badges

Finishing a game of Gomoku earns points for your level. Four badges are waiting in this game, from bronze to diamond: each one says what to do and adds bonus points.

Questions