Play Super Gomoku Narabe - Renju (Japan) Online

Looks simple—line up five stones—until the Renju rules kick in and suddenly every move feels like a chess match. The AI crushes you at first, but when you start seeing three moves ahead, it clicks.

Developer: Naxat Soft

Genre: Strategy

Released: 1994

File size: 279 bytes

Game Overview

Super Gomoku Narabe - Renju is one of those SNES games that looks deceptively simple—just place five stones in a row, right?—until you realize there’s way more going on. The Renju rules add these sneaky restrictions for the first player, so you can’t just bulldoze your way to victory. It’s like Gomoku decided to put on a tuxedo and play chess instead.

The AI doesn’t mess around, either. I lost my first five matches before I even figured out why my moves kept getting "banned." But when it clicks, there’s this satisfying rhythm to it—placing stones, blocking your opponent, setting up traps three moves ahead. And the two-player mode? Let’s just say friendships have been tested over this.

It’s got that clean, no-nonsense 16-bit look—just a board, some smooth animations, and your own growing panic as the opponent corners you. If you’re into games that make your brain work but don’t drown you in tutorials, this is a forgotten SNES classic worth digging up.