In this old Hawaiian game, there is no such thing as a quiet move. Every turn is a jump, every jump takes a stone, and the winner is simply the last player who can still jump at all.
Konane unblocked starts on an 8x8 board packed edge to edge with black and white stones in a checker pattern. This version comes from Christopher Müller's PaperGames collection, with three computer levels and a mode for two players sharing one screen.
How to play Konane
Since the board starts full, nobody can jump at first. So the game opens by thinning it out. Black lifts a black stone off a corner or off one of the four center squares. White answers by lifting a white stone that borders the new hole. The legal choices light up for you.
Now Black makes the first real move. Pick a stone and hop over an enemy stone beside it into the empty square just past it, going up, down, left or right. No diagonals. The stone you jumped is taken off.
If your stone can jump again from where it landed, you may keep going, even turning a corner, or tap Done jumping to stop. When your turn comes and none of your stones can jump, you lose. A line under the board tracks captures for both sides.
Controls
| To… | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remove an opening stone | Arrow keys to reach a highlighted stone, Enter to remove it | Click one of the highlighted stones | Tap one of the highlighted stones |
| Jump | Arrow keys and Enter to pick the stone, then the landing square | Click your stone, then the empty square beyond an enemy stone | Tap your stone, then the empty square beyond an enemy stone |
| Stop a jump chain early | — | Click "Done jumping" | Tap "Done jumping" |
| Start a game against the computer | — | Click "vs Computer", pick black or white and a level, then click "New game" | Tap "vs Computer", pick black or white and a level, then tap "New game" |
| Take back a move | — | Click "Undo" | Tap "Undo" |
Tips
- Count moves, not captures. Winning is about having the last jump, so keeping your own options matters more than taking stones.
- End chains on safe squares. Stopping early can be wiser than landing where your stone gets jumped right back.
- Don't open lanes for your rival. Every jump leaves holes, so check whether a new gap hands them a jump.
- Value edge stones. Border stones are only open to attack along the edge, so they are harder to hit.
- Count the endgame. With few jumps left, tally them to learn who gets the final jump.
Konane questions
Can I ever move without jumping?
No. Every move must be a jump that captures. If you have none on your turn, the game is over.
How smart is the computer?
Easy plays random legal jumps. Medium checks one turn deep and adds some randomness. Hard searches as far as three turns and scores positions by stones held and jumps still open.
Does the game save if I leave?
Yes. A game in progress stays in your browser on that device. You can also undo moves or resign from the buttons under the board.
