Connect 5 Omok vs Gomoku: How the Three Names Compare
Connect 5, Omok and Gomoku are three names for the same five-in-a-row family. The rules overlap on 99 percent, but board size, opening move, and forbidden-move variations do differ. Here is the clearest side-by-side, plus you.
Search for five-in-a-row games and you will hit three names: Gomoku (the default in the West), Omok (Korean and Japanese five-in-a-row romanization), and Connect 5 (the mobile-app branding). This post lines them up and gets you playing in five minutes, plus you.
They are the same game at the core
All three share the same rule: take turns placing stones on a grid, first to align five in a row, column, or diagonal wins. The word Gomoku comes from the Japanese gomoku narabe. Omok is the Korean romanization of the same word. Connect 5 is a Western commercial label for the same family. Rule overlap is about 99 percent.
The real differences: board size and openings
Gomoku historically uses a 15 by 15 board, though 13 by 13 and 19 by 19 work fine. Connect 5 is usually a mobile-app name where 13 by 13 or smaller boards speed up matches. Omok typically uses 15 by 15. All three are black-first, but professional Renju adds forbidden-move rules that are out of scope here.
- Gomoku: 15 by 15, the international default
- Connect 5: 13 by 13 or 11 by 11, typical mobile sizes
- Omok: usually 15 by 15, same board as Gomoku
- Renju: 15 by 15 with forbidden moves (not in this comparison)
No rule differences at the play level
Whichever name you search for, the placement and winning rule is identical. That means the open-three and open-four tactics you learn on a Gomoku board transfer 100 percent to Omok or Connect 5, with zero adjustment. The only skill that varies is the opponent.
FAQ
Are Connect 5 Omok and Gomoku the same game?
Same core rule: first to five in a row wins. Differences are mainly board size and commercial branding.
Is Omok a kind of Gomoku?
Yes. Omok is the Korean romanization of Gomoku (the same Japanese-origin word), popular in Korea and Japan.
Is Connect 5 harder than Gomoku?
Difficulty depends on the opponent and board size, not the name. The rules are essentially identical.