15x15 board — click any empty spot to place a stone. First to connect 5 in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) wins.
Player 1's turn
Player 1 Wins
0
Computer Wins
0
What Is Gomoku
Gomoku (also known as Five in a Row) is a long-standing two-player strategy board game, played by taking turns placing stones on the intersections of a 15x15 (or larger) grid. The first player to connect five of their own stones in a row — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — wins. Unlike Go, which needs a dedicated board and deep rules, Gomoku is simple to pick up almost instantly, yet still holds surprisingly deep tactics, making it a beloved strategy game worldwide.
How It Differs from Connect Four
Despite the similar-sounding names, Gomoku and Connect Four play very differently. Connect Four uses a 7x6 board where a dropped piece falls to the bottom of whichever column you choose due to gravity — you only pick the column, not the exact cell. Gomoku uses a 15x15 board where you click directly on any empty intersection to place a stone, with no gravity involved at all, giving you far more freedom in where you play, and you need five in a row (not four) to win.
How to Play
Once the game starts, the screen shows whose turn it is. Simply click any empty spot on the board, and your stone appears exactly where you clicked. Play continues back and forth until someone connects five stones (in any direction) to win, or the board fills up with no winner, resulting in a draw — at which point you can press "Restart Round" to play again, with the win counts tracked and displayed. You can switch between "vs Computer" and "2 Players" modes above — play solo, or challenge a friend.
Common Beginner Strategies
Prioritize claiming spots near the center of the board, since the center offers the most possible directions to develop a line. Also watch for your opponent forming an "open three" (three in a row with both ends still open) — this pattern easily becomes an unstoppable "open four" on the next move, so it must be blocked first. Building threats in multiple directions at once, so your opponent can't defend everywhere, is the core offensive skill in Gomoku.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play Gomoku?
The board is a 15x15 grid. On your turn, simply click any empty spot, and your stone lands exactly where you clicked (unlike Connect Four, there's no gravity pulling it to the bottom). The first player to connect 5 of their own stones in a straight line — horizontal, vertical, or diagonal — wins.
Can you play this alone?
Yes. The default mode is "vs Computer," where the AI plays automatically, so one person can play solo. If you'd rather play face-to-face with a friend, switch to "2 Players" mode, where you take turns clicking on the same screen — no sign-up or connection required.
Is the computer AI hard to beat?
The AI evaluates threats on the board in real time: it always takes a move that wins immediately if one is available, and always blocks you if you're about to connect five. Otherwise, it scores potential moves by pattern strength (like an "open three" or a "four with one open end") and picks the most threatening spot. It's a moderately strong opponent — you'll need to watch multiple directions at once to beat it.
Why didn't my stone appear where I clicked?
In Gomoku, your stone always lands exactly where you click — there's no gravity effect. If nothing appeared, it's usually because that spot is already occupied (you can't place a stone there again), or the game hasn't started yet, or it's currently the computer's turn to think — clicks don't register in any of those situations.
Is Gomoku the same as Connect Four? What's the difference?
No, they're different. Connect Four uses a 7x6 board where a dropped piece falls to the bottom of a column due to gravity, and you win by connecting 4. Gomoku uses a 15x15 board where you click directly on any empty spot with no gravity involved, and you need to connect 5 to win. The rules and strategy are completely different between the two.