About Gomoku — 2 Player
Play Gomoku with a friend on one screen: take turns placing black and white stones, and the first to make five in a row wins. The last move is marked, the winning line is drawn, and a rematch swaps who plays black.
Gomoku is five in a row on a big board. Two players take turns putting a stone on an empty crossing of a 15×15 grid, and the first to line up five of their own stones, across, down or diagonally, wins. The rules take a minute to learn; the attacks and defences, all built from threes and fours, keep it interesting for years.
Also called: five in a row, gobang, five in a line.
How to play Gomoku
- Black moves first. Against the computer, choose 1st to play black or 2nd to play white, and pick a level: Easy, Medium or Hard.
- On your turn, put one stone on any empty intersection (where two lines cross). Stones never move and are never captured.
- Get five or more of your stones in an unbroken straight line (across, down or diagonal) to win.
- With a mouse, a ghost stone follows the pointer and a click places it. On a phone, tap once to drop a ghost stone and see exactly where it will go, then tap it again to place it (tap somewhere else to move the ghost). Keyboard: arrow keys and Enter.
- The last stone played has a yellow dot, and the winning line is drawn in yellow when the game ends.
Rules
- This is freestyle Gomoku: an overline of six or more also wins, for both players.
- There is no swap rule and no opening restriction: black simply plays first, which is an advantage. A rematch swaps colours, so you take turns having it.
- If the board fills up with no five in a row, the game is a draw.
- Undo against the computer takes back your last move and its reply; with a friend it takes back one move.
Gomoku tips and strategy
- An open four wins. Four in a row with both ends empty can’t be stopped: block one end and the other completes five. So an open three (three in a row with room at both ends) is a threat that must be answered at once.
- Win with double threats. A move that makes two open threes, or a four and an open three at the same time, is almost always winning, because your opponent can only block one.
- A plain four (one end blocked) forces a reply. Chaining fours that each leave only one answer, until one of them makes a double, is how strong players finish games.
- Play close to the action. Stones far from the others rarely matter, and every stone you place near your opponent’s both builds your lines and blocks theirs.
- When defending an open three, block the end that also helps your own shape, and look for a counter-four: a four of your own must be answered first, which can steal the initiative.
Gomoku questions
Does six in a row count?
Yes. This is freestyle Gomoku, so five or more in a row wins for either player. Some tournament rules (standard Gomoku and Renju) forbid overlines or restrict black; this game does not.
Is there a swap rule?
No. Black always moves first with no swap or opening rule, which gives black a real edge. Rematches alternate colours so both players get the first move.
How strong is the Hard computer?
Hard reads every threat pattern on the board (fours, open threes, split threes), searches forcing sequences of fours to the end, and looks several moves ahead at the best candidate moves near the stones, all in under a third of a second. It punishes a missed open three and rarely misses a win. Beating it as white is a real achievement.
How do I place a stone precisely on a phone?
Tap once: a ghost stone appears with a cross along its row and column, and the status line names the point. If it is where you want, tap the ghost again to place it. Tap anywhere else to move the ghost instead.
Is my game saved?
Yes. The game in progress is saved in your browser after every move, so a reload continues where you left off, and your wins, losses and draws are kept for each computer level.
Is Gomoku free to play?
Yes. Gomoku on Kultured Arcade is completely free: no download, no account and nothing to buy. It runs in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
Do I need to download Gomoku?
No. It opens instantly in your browser and saves your progress on your device, so there is nothing to install and no sign-up.
Can I play Gomoku online with a friend?
Yes. Open the Online tab and choose Create invite, then send the link or the six-character code. The game starts as soon as your friend opens it. Quick match pairs you with someone who is waiting.