Gomoku (Five in a Row)
Board · 13 playsGomoku (Five in a Row)
Place stones and make five in a row before the CPU does.
About Gomoku (Five in a Row)
The elegant East Asian board classic. You and the computer take turns placing stones on a wooden grid; the first to lay five in an unbroken row — across, down or diagonally — wins. Simple to learn and endlessly deep: every stone attacks and defends at once, and one overlooked diagonal ends the game. A thinking player's game that fits in a coffee break. Free to play in your browser — no download, no sign-up.
How to Play
Tap an intersection to place a black stone. The CPU answers with white. First five in a row wins. Rows count across, down and diagonally.
Tips & Strategy
An open three (three in a row with both ends free) must be answered immediately — left alone it becomes an unstoppable open four.
Build shapes that threaten in two directions at once. Two crossing threes are usually a won game, because the CPU can only block one.
Don't chase your own line blindly: after every CPU stone, scan its rows and diagonals before extending yours.
Play near the centre early. Edge stones touch fewer lines and run out of room exactly when a row starts to matter.