Gomoku

Gomoku — also called five in a row, gomoku narabe or simply five — is the game you already know from a coffee-shop paper grid, scaled up to 15×15. You play black and move first. The AI is not a random opponent: it scores every empty point by the threats it creates and the threats it blocks, so it will happily take an open three on one side of the board while quietly sealing your four on the other.

How to play Gomoku

1. Tap any intersection to drop a black stone. Black always moves first.
2. The AI answers with white. It looks for immediate wins first, then blocks your winning points, then plays for shape.
3. Win by lining up five stones in a row — horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
4. Use <b>New game</b> at any time. Your win count against the AI is kept on this device.

Strategy tips

Look for open threes rather than long thin lines. A three that can grow at both ends becomes an open four, which cannot be blocked and wins next move. Against this AI, a double threat — two separate threes at once — is the reliable way to win, because it can only close one. Watch the point where two diagonals cross your own stones; that intersection is usually worth more than the edge.

Why play it here

No download, no sign-in and no move timer. The board resizes to your screen and stays sharp on high-DPI phones, so a 15×15 grid is still tappable with a thumb. Every game is stored locally, so your win record survives a refresh.

Questions

What is Gomoku?

Gomoku is a two-player abstract strategy game on a 15×15 grid where the first player to line up five stones of their own colour — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — wins. It is sometimes called five in a row or gomoku narabe.

Is this the same as Pente or Connect Five?

It is the same family. Pente adds capture rules and tournament Gomoku sometimes uses opening restrictions. This version uses the common free-style rules: five or more in a row wins, and there is no capture.

Can I win against the AI?

Yes. The AI blocks direct wins and scores open patterns, but it does not do a deep exhaustive search, so a double threat — two open threes at once — usually beats it. Rushing the centre early gives it fewer weak points to exploit.

Does it work offline or on a phone?

The game runs entirely in your browser and the page is small, so it works on mobile data and in flight mode once loaded. Controls are a single tap per move.