Gomoku

How to play

Black and white take turns placing one stone on an empty crossing of the lines. Black moves first. The first to make an unbroken line of five stones of their colour, across, up and down or diagonally, wins. A line of six or more also wins, and there are no forbidden moves. If the board fills up first, the game is a draw. Stones never move or come off the board, so block the computer's lines before they reach five. A line of three with both ends open, or a four with one end open, must be answered at once. Two such threats in one move usually win. Black has an advantage. Choose white for a harder game. Beginner often misses the best move, Intermediate plays the strongest-looking move, and Advanced reads a few moves ahead. The red dot marks the last stone placed.

Controls

Touch: tap a crossing to see where the stone will go, then tap it again to place it. Tap another crossing to move it. Mouse: click a crossing to place a stone. ↶ Undo takes back your last move and the computer's reply. Keyboard: arrow keys move, Enter or Space places a stone, U or Z undoes.

More games

• CheckersThe classic game of jumping pieces on an 8×8 board, against the computer in three strengths. Jump over the computer's pieces to take them, crown your pieces as kings, and take them all to win. Play red or white, take back moves, and continue a game in progress later on this device.
• Parking PuzzleA sliding puzzle in a crowded car park, in 30 stages. Slide the cars and trucks along their lanes to clear a way, and drive the red car out through the exit. Each clear earns up to three stars for the moves you took, a hint shows the next move, and your progress is kept on this device.
• Gem MatchA match-3 puzzle in 30 stages. Swap neighbouring gems to line up three or more of the same shape, and reach each stage's goals before the moves run out: a score, gems to collect or gold squares to clear. Stages open one by one, a clear earns up to three stars, and your board is kept on this device.
• NonogramA picture logic puzzle in 30 stages, from 5×5 to 12×12. The numbers beside each row and column tell you which squares to fill, and a picture appears in colour when you finish. Every puzzle can be solved without guessing. Stages open one by one, and your progress is kept on this device.
• 2048The number-merging puzzle. Slide the tiles and join matching numbers until you make a 2048 tile, then set your sights on 4096 and beyond. Tiles glide into place, one move can be undone, and a game in progress is kept on this device.
• Box PusherA box-pushing puzzle in 30 stages. Push every box onto a marked square: you can push but never pull, so the order matters. Stages open one after another, and each clear earns up to three stars for the moves you took. Unlimited undo, and your progress is kept on this device.