Beginner guide · playable example
How to Play Gomoku (Freestyle Rules)
GomokuNow uses Freestyle Gomoku: take turns placing stones and make an unbroken line of five or more before your opponent.
Quick Rules
- The board is 15×15.
- Stones are placed on intersections.
- Black moves first.
- Players alternate one stone per turn.
- Stones stay where they are placed.
- Make an unbroken line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
- Five or more stones wins.
- No forbidden moves.
If the board fills without a winner, the game is a draw.
Three ways to make a line
Make Five
Choose the winning intersection
Four black stones are already connected. Select the one intersection that completes the line.
Choose the intersection that completes five in a row.
Freestyle clarification
In Freestyle Gomoku, five or more wins. Read the Gomoku overline rules for six-in-a-row examples.
This guide covers Freestyle Gomoku. Renju is a competitive variant with additional restrictions for Black.