Go-Moku
BGG rank
BGG #8,711
BGG rating
6.0

Go-Moku

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Rules assistance for Go-Moku

Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

  • 5 min
  • 8+
  • Complexity 1.8/5

Rules assistant for Go-Moku

For 2 players

What would you like to know?

Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.

Go-Moku is a board game released in 700 for 2 players, 5 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. Its main mechanics are Square Grid and Pattern Building.

Similar games

About the game

"Go-Moku" (Japanese - also spelled "Gomoku") or "wuziqi" (Chinese) is a very old game played with a Go set. The game can also be played on a sheet of graph paper using X's and O's. It is similar in idea to tic-tac-toe, but far greater in scale and complexity. The name means "five points." It is debated whether this game originated in China or Japan, with more evidence pointing to the former. The object is to get five stones in a row. The game is played on a 19x19 board (such as the board used in Go), creating a large and open field to complete this objective. The game can also be played on a smaller board, such as the popular 15x15 option. If played perfectly, Black (who goes first) can always win the game. Even before this was proven, the game was recognized to be easier for Black. This problem is solved with the swap2 opening setup: place two black and a white stone; the other player then can take the white stones and play, take the black stones and pass, or place one more of each stone and give you the final choice. From then on play as normal, no need for during-play restrictions on black as in Renju which was often seen as the adult contemporary to the kids' Go-Moku.

Editions

  • Go-BangenJumbo1985
  • Go+GobangenOtto Maier Verlag, Το Καλό Παιχνίδι Α.Ε.1974
  • Go+GobangenOtto Maier Verlag1974
  • Go+GobangenOtto Maier Verlag1973
  • Gin CheckersenJohn W. Hill & Co.1943
  • Go-MokuenCopp Clark Publishing Company
  • Go BangenJohn Jaques of London
  • GomokudeGrubbe Media GmbH2010
  • 五子棋Jian Lun (剑伦)2008
  • Go & GobangfrOtto Maier Verlag1987
  • Fünf in einer ReihedeABRA1985
  • Gewinn mit 5deArxon1980

Publishers

  • (Unknown)
  • ASS Altenburger Spielkarten
  • Alga
  • Otto Maier Verlag
  • Spear's Games
  • Jumbo
  • (Public Domain)
  • Copp Clark Publishing Company

Questions and answers

Go-Moku supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.