How to play Gomoku and Tic-Tac-Toe
Pick a board first. On 15x15 you win by lining up five pieces in a row, across, down or diagonally. On the 3x3 board three in a row is enough. Against the computer you play X and it plays O, and the first move switches sides every game.
Choose Computer to play the AI on Easy, Medium or Hard, or 2 players to share one phone or computer with a friend. The glowing card at the top shows whose turn it is, the last move is highlighted, and a gold line marks the winning row.
Gomoku vs computer: Easy, Medium and Hard
Easy is made for kids and beginners. The computer often misses your threes and fours, and red rings warn you about squares where it could win on its next move. Medium blocks your open threes and fours and takes a win when it sees one. Hard looks several moves ahead and hunts for chains of fours, so you need a real double attack to beat it.
On the 3x3 board Hard plays perfectly, so a draw is the best you can get there. Easy and Medium slip up now and then, so keep an eye out for chances.
Tips to win at Gomoku
An open three, three in a row with both ends free, forces a reply. Two threats at once, like a four plus an open three, cannot both be blocked, and that is how most games are won. Keep your pieces close together near the center and check every new enemy piece for threes before you attack.
Lost a game? Press Undo to take back moves, even after the game ends, and try another way. Every win against the computer adds to your win streak, and the best streak is saved for each board and level.
Blocked both ends rule in Gomoku
Many players in Vietnam use the blocked both ends rule: a line of five with an opponent piece right at each end does not count. Turn it on in the menu for the 15x15 board and the computer plays by the same rule. A five that touches the edge of the board still wins.
Can you play Gomoku on a phone?
Yes. On a touch screen the 15x15 board uses tap to aim: the first tap marks the square with guide lines and a second tap on the same square places your piece, so stray taps never cost you a game. On the 3x3 board one tap is enough. Nothing to install, it runs right in the browser.