Omok (Gomoku, Five in a Row) is a traditional strategy game with thousands of years of history in East Asia. Beloved in Korea, Japan, and China, it combines simple rules with deep strategy on a Go board. Players take turns placing stones, aiming to be the first to create an unbroken line of five. Its accessible rules and strategic depth make it enjoyable for beginners and experts alike.
Two players alternate placing black and white stones on a 15x15 board. Black plays first. The goal is to create an unbroken line of exactly 5 stones in any direction - horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. Once placed, stones cannot be moved or removed. In professional play (Renju), black has forbidden move restrictions, but casual games use free rules.
Key strategies: Control the center early to maximize attack opportunities in all 8 directions. Create 'open threes' (3 in a row with both ends open) and 'four-three' attacks (simultaneous 4 in a row and open three) to create unstoppable positions. Don't focus only on offense - always block opponent's three-in-a-row. Diagonal connections are easy to miss, so always check them.
Open Three: 3 consecutive stones with both ends open. Open Four: 4 consecutive stones with at least one end open. Double Three (3-3): Creating two open threes simultaneously. Four-Three (4-3): Creating a four and open three simultaneously. Overline: 6+ consecutive (forbidden for black in Renju). Forbidden Moves: Restrictions applied to black in professional play.
Omok Online offers quick matchmaking, private rooms for playing with friends, AI with 3 difficulty levels (Easy/Medium/Hard), beginner tutorials, 11 language support, spectator mode, move history tracking, ranking system, and responsive design playable on all devices. Undo feature and hint system help improve your skills.
Omok uses the same board as Go but with much simpler rules. While Go is about capturing territory, Omok is about creating five in a row. Renju is the professional version of Omok with forbidden move rules for black to balance the first-move advantage. Omok requires deep strategy like Chess or Janggi but with much easier rules to learn.