Gomoku
Take turns placing stones on the board. The first player to get five in an unbroken line, across, down or diagonally, wins.
How to Play
- Black moves first, then the players take turns placing one stone on any empty point.
- Get five or more of your stones in an unbroken line, horizontally, vertically or diagonally, to win.
- Against the computer you play Black. Choose Two players to take turns on the same device.
- Click a point to play there, or move with the arrow keys and press Space.
- The last stone played has a red ring, and the winning line is ringed in green.
Tips & Strategy
- An "open three" (three in a row with both ends free) forces your opponent to block, or you'll make an open four.
- An open four can't be stopped, because it has two ends to finish from.
- The strongest attacks make two threats at once, such as a four and an open three, so only one can be blocked.
- Play near the centre early. Stones there take part in more lines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Freestyle Gomoku: five or more in a row wins, and there are no restrictions on the first player's moves. Professional variants such as Renju add extra rules for Black, which aren't used here.
Easy plays loosely but still blocks obvious wins. Medium always makes the strongest attacking or blocking move it can see. Hard also checks your best reply before it commits, so it sets up double threats and rarely walks into one.
Yes, they're names for the same game in different countries. It's traditionally played with Go stones on a Go board.
Your wins and losses against the computer are stored in your browser's local storage on this device only.
More Games
More quick games that run in your browser.
Connect Four
gamesPlay Connect Four online free against the computer (Easy, Medium, Hard) or a friend. Line up four discs to win.
Tic-Tac-Toe
gamesPlay Tic-Tac-Toe online free against an unbeatable computer, an easy computer, or a friend on the same device.
Mancala
gamesPlay Mancala (Kalah) free online against the computer at three levels, or with a friend on the same device. Sow seeds, take extra turns and capture to fill your store.