Gomoku
Classic Gomoku (Five in a Row) on a clean 15x15 board. Place stones, build a line of five, and outmaneuver a sharp threat-hunting CPU or a friend in local 2-player.
About Gomoku
Gomoku, also called Five in a Row, is an ancient pure-strategy board game with rules simple enough to learn in seconds and depth that rewards a lifetime of play. Two players take turns placing stones on the intersections of a 15x15 grid; the first to line up five of their own stones in a row, column, or diagonal wins. There is no capturing and no luck, just position, foresight, and the constant tension between building your own threats and shutting down your opponent's. This original build draws a warm, glossy stone-board on canvas with traditional star points, highlights the last move and the winning five, and detects a full-board draw. Play solo against a CPU with two distinct personalities, or pass-and-play head to head with a friend on the same device. Your record against the computer is saved automatically.
How to play Gomoku
Choose your opponent: CPU Easy, CPU Hard, or 2 Player. On your turn, tap or click any empty intersection to drop a stone there (you play Black and always move first against the CPU). Players alternate placing stones. The goal is to be the first to form an unbroken line of exactly five of your stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The CPU Easy opponent grabs obvious wins and blocks, while CPU Hard performs threat-based pattern search and a time-capped lookahead, punishing open threes and double-threats. If the entire board fills with no five-in-a-row, the game is a draw. Use New game to restart, Undo to take back a move, and Reset scores to clear your record.
Controls
Mouse / touch: tap or click an intersection to place your stone. Keyboard: Arrow keys or WASD move the on-screen cursor, Enter or Space places a stone. U undoes the last move, R starts a new game, and M toggles mute. The mute button in the top-right corner also works. Any key, tap, or the Play button dismisses the demo and starts a fresh real game.
Tips & tricks
- Watch both ends of your lines: a three open on both sides (an open three) is a powerful threat because it forces your opponent to defend or lose.
- Defense first against CPU Hard. If it ever builds an open three or a four, block it immediately or you will be racing a lost game.
- The strongest attacks create two threats at once (a double-three or four-three). Your opponent can only block one, so the other wins.
- Stay central early. Stones near the middle reach in more directions, while edge plays cut off your own potential lines.
- Use Undo to study positions: rewind a move you regret, try a different line, and learn which shapes lead to forced wins.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Gomoku?
Choose your opponent: CPU Easy, CPU Hard, or 2 Player. On your turn, tap or click any empty intersection to drop a stone there (you play Black and always move first against the CPU). Players alternate placing stones. The goal is to be the first to form an unbroken line of exactly five of your stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The CPU Easy opponent grabs obvious wins and blocks, while CPU Hard performs threat-based pattern search and a time-capped lookahead, punishing open threes and double-threats. If the entire board fills with no five-in-a-row, the game is a draw. Use New game to restart, Undo to take back a move, and Reset scores to clear your record.
What are the controls for Gomoku?
Mouse / touch: tap or click an intersection to place your stone. Keyboard: Arrow keys or WASD move the on-screen cursor, Enter or Space places a stone. U undoes the last move, R starts a new game, and M toggles mute. The mute button in the top-right corner also works. Any key, tap, or the Play button dismisses the demo and starts a fresh real game.
Is Gomoku free to play online?
It is. Gomoku costs nothing to play here — no account, no app store, no paywall. Just open the page and go.
Can I play Gomoku on mobile?
Yes. Gomoku works in any modern mobile browser with full touch support, so it plays on phones and tablets as well as on a laptop or desktop — nothing to install.
Who made Gomoku?
Gomoku was built in-house by the GameStudioHub team using open web technology (HTML5), which is why it runs instantly without any download.
More free 2 player games
Gomoku is one of many free 2 player games on GameStudioHub. Browse the whole 2 Player collection, or head back to the home page to explore every category.