Turbo Gomoku

Turbo Gomoku takes the ancient Japanese board game Gomoku and gives it a suitably computerised makeover. The rules are wonderfully simple: players place stones on a grid and attempt to create a line of five before their opponent does. Of course, simplicity is not the same thing as ease. Once the game starts looking ahead, every apparently harmless move can become the beginning of a rather unpleasant surprise. The computer opponent provides the challenge, forcing players to think several moves in advance and pay attention to threats that are not immediately obvious. There is no need for flashy graphics or complicated storytelling because the board itself is the entire battlefield. Turbo Gomoku is therefore a neat example of how old PCs could turn a traditional abstract strategy game into a surprisingly absorbing digital contest. It is quiet, cerebral, and occasionally infuriating in the best possible way, especially when the computer calmly wins with a move you somehow failed to notice.