About This Game

GO BEYOND THE SQUARE

Play the game of Go (aka Weiqi or Baduk) on classic squares, geographic maps, and unexpected shapes—or create a board nobody has played on before.

Custom Goban brings the timeless strategy of Go to boards of your own design. Capture stones, surround territory, and discover how a different shape changes the way you play. Learn the basics, challenge a built-in bot, or face a friend—on a classic square or something wonderfully strange.

• Break out of the grid: 14 ready-to-play layouts, from classic gobans to geographic maps and a cat-shaped board.
  
• Build your own battlefield: change the outline, cut holes, and save your creations.
  
• Play solo, even offline: built-in bots can play on every layout, including yours.
  
• Bring a friend: share one device, invite them with a room code, or join public rooms.
  
• Keep the classics: play on standard boards, connect to OGS, and challenge online KataGo on supported squares.

SAME STONES. NEW POSSIBILITIES.

A hole creates another edge to fight around. A narrow passage turns a familiar position into a new tactical problem. Your favorite opening may need a rethink.

Jump straight into 14 built-in boards: 5×5, 9×9, 13×13, and 19×19 squares; crosses, triangles, and rhombuses; maps of Japan, China, South Korea, the USA, and Europe; and even a cat. Choose a smaller battlefield for a shorter game, or a sprawling map for a bigger territorial contest.

Want something entirely your own? Use the board editor to add intersections, reshape the boundaries, cut holes, and save layouts to play again. You're not just choosing where to play—you're creating the challenge.

YOUR BOARD. YOUR BOT. NO SETUP REQUIRED.

Try an opening, explore an unfamiliar shape, or enjoy a game at your own pace. Novice, Casual, and Senior run on your device on every board—no internet connection, model downloads, or separate AI installation needed.

For deeper tactical search on custom layouts, choose Master. On complete 5×5, 9×9, 13×13, and 19×19 square boards, Master instead uses online KataGo.

A QUIET DUEL OR AN ONLINE CHALLENGE

Play face-to-face on one device, invite a friend to a private room by code, or meet opponents in public Custom Goban rooms. Chat during the game or watch others play.

For classic online Go, connect to OGS (Online Go Server) to join supported games and follow live matches from inside Custom Goban.

NEW TO GO? START HERE.

Go—also known as Baduk or Weiqi—starts with a simple idea: place stones, capture your opponent's groups, and surround more territory. The depth comes from what you do with it.

Interactive tutorials help you learn the basics. Start on a small board, try the Novice bot, and explore larger or stranger layouts when you're ready.

MAKE EVERY GAME YOURS

• Your pace: Bullet, Blitz, Rapid, Classic, or custom clock settings.
  
• Your scoring: Japanese or Chinese rules.
  
• Your focus: a clean, minimalist interface that keeps the board center stage.
  
• Your language: English, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

The rules are familiar. The next battlefield is yours.

Online multiplayer, OGS, and square-board KataGo require an internet connection and available external services. Novice, Casual, and Senior work offline on all layouts; Master works offline on custom layouts.