Play Nine Stones

Line up three, steal a stone. Whoever drops to two is out.

How many players

Played by 1 or 2: solo against the computer, or online against another player.

Online: create a room and send the link to a friend, or get matched with a random opponent. If nobody shows up, we offer a clearly labeled computer opponent.

Goal: Knock your opponent down to 2 stones or leave them unable to move.

Each player starts with 9 stones in hand. Take turns placing one on any of the 24 empty spots on the board.
Line up three of your stones on one line and you take one of your opponent’s stones.
Once your hand is empty, you slide stones along the lines to a neighboring empty spot.
Down to 3 stones, you can fly: move a stone to any empty spot you like.
Your opponent drops to 2 stones or has no legal move: you win.

A stone in a line of three can’t be taken. If all of their stones are in lines, any of them can be taken.
The squares connect only through the middles of their sides; no passing through corners.
Breaking a line and forming it again also earns you a capture.
Draw: after all stones are placed, 60 moves (30 each) with no capture, or the same position coming up a 3rd time.
Bot levels: Easy makes a line only half the time it can, otherwise plays at random. Medium calculates a little and sometimes slips. Hard calculates deep.

Touch: When placing, tap an empty spot. When sliding, tap your stone, then a glowing spot. After making a line, tap one of your opponent’s pulsing stones.

You have 60 seconds per move; run out and you lose.
If you disconnect, you have 60 seconds to come back or your opponent wins. Leaving the game also hands them the win.
A rematch needs both of you to say yes; the first move switches sides in the rematch.

Set up a stone that can complete two lines at once: they can only block one.
Don’t box yourself in while placing; in the sliding phase, whoever runs out of moves loses.

Four Stones: Line up four stones across, down or diagonally. First to four takes it.
Vanishing XOX: You only get 3 marks. Place a new one and your oldest vanishes.
Admiral Down: Hide your ships and send your rival's fleet to the bottom before they get yours.
Backgammon: Your dice, your tactics. Bear off first and gammon them before they gammon you.
Mangala: Sow stones pit by pit, then raid your rival’s treasure with the last one.
Turkish Checkers: Pieces move forward and sideways, and capturing is a must. Crown a king and sweep the board.