Stone Lantern Go

About the game

The ancient game of go, against a Monte-Carlo opponent, fully offline.

Stone Lantern Go is the ancient game of go — weiqi, baduk — on a lantern-lit 3D goban, built to run with no connection of any kind.

The board is rendered in real time: a thick kaya slab on four turned feet, lens-shaped slate and clamshell stones that cast real shadows, and a pair of wooden bowls that fill with your prisoners. Drag to turn the board to any angle, or switch to a flat overhead view whenever you prefer it.

Two players take turns placing stones on the crossings of the grid. Surround empty points to make territory, fill the last liberty of an enemy group to take it off the board, and pass when there is nothing left to gain. Two passes end the game: dead stones come off, the points are counted, and White receives komi for moving second.

The opponent is an original Monte-Carlo tree search, written for this title and running entirely in the app. Four strengths from Novice to Master, on 9x9, 13x13 or 19x19, with handicap stones and adjustable komi. Choose area (Chinese) or territory (Japanese) counting and simple ko or positional superko. A hint and a score estimate are one tap away for newcomers, and can be switched off entirely.

Also included: a two-player pass-and-play mode, a board editor for setting up a position and playing it out, a six-part illustrated primer on the rules, and a high-score ladder that rewards bigger boards, stronger opponents and wider margins.

No connection, no accounts, no advertising, no purchases, no data collected.

How to play

1. Two players take turns placing stones on the crossings of the grid. Whoever surrounds more of the board wins. Black plays first.
2. The empty points touching a stone are its liberties. Stones of one colour that touch each other form a group and share their liberties.
3. Fill the last liberty of an enemy group and it is lifted off the board. You may not play a stone with no liberties unless the move captures.
4. You may not immediately recreate the position your opponent just left. Play elsewhere first, then come back to it.
5. Pass when there is nothing left to gain. Two passes in a row end the game: dead stones are removed and the points are counted. White receives komi for moving second.
6. Winning adds points to the high-score table. Bigger boards, stronger opponents and wider margins are worth more; taking a handicap is worth less.
7. Camera button (or C, or RB on a pad): switch between the Table, Seat and Overhead views. Drag to look around.

Controls