Gomoku, also called Five-in-a-Row or Omok (오목), is a deeply tactical board game with a simple goal: be the first to align five of your stones in a row, column, or diagonal. Play against an AI opponent with adjustable difficulty.
How to play
Black moves first. Players alternate placing one stone at a time on the 15x15 grid. Stones never move once placed. The first player to form an unbroken line of five wins. Despite its simplicity, perfect play has been mathematically proven to favor black, so the game is best enjoyed without that knowledge spoiling things.
Opening tips against the AI
Place your first stone near the center; corners give the opponent room to develop. Always answer a row of three from your opponent — ignoring it loses the game in two moves. Look for double threats: a single stone that creates two open-three lines at once is very hard to defend against.
FAQ
- What is the difference between Gomoku and Omok?
- They are essentially the same game. Korean Omok historically uses extra rules (renju) restricting black's openings to balance the first-move advantage; this version uses free Gomoku rules.
- Can I undo a move?
- No undo is intentional — committing to your moves is part of the discipline.
