How do you play Alkkagi?
Alkkagi is a Korean tabletop game where two players take turns flicking their own Go stones to knock the other player's stones off the board. Whoever clears all of the opponent's stones first wins.
It uses the same board and stones as Go (Baduk), but has nothing to do with Go strategy. Think of it as a mix of marbles and curling played on a wooden board. Here, Black always goes first. Press one of your stones, pull back and let go, and it shoots off in the opposite direction like a slingshot. Once every stone has stopped, it is the other player's turn. A stone is out as soon as its center crosses the edge of the board, and that includes the stone you just flicked.
What are the rules on this site?
Players alternate one shot at a time, and the game ends when one side has no stones left. There is no bonus shot for knocking a stone off, a house rule some families use.
| Rule | How it works here |
|---|---|
| Stones | 8 per side by default (5 or 10 in Settings) |
| Order | Black first, then one shot each in turn |
| Your shot | Flick exactly one of your own stones |
| Out | A stone is out when its center leaves the board |
| Next turn | Starts when all stones stop. No extra shot for a knockout |
| Winning | Knock off every enemy stone. If both last stones fall together, it is a draw |
How do you get better at Alkkagi?
- Keep your stones near the center. A stone sitting at the edge falls with the lightest bump. Pick angles that leave your shooter in the middle after the hit.
- Pick off edge stones first. An enemy stone near the rim needs little power, so your own stone is less likely to follow it out.
- Go for two at once. When two enemy stones sit in a line, hit the front one squarely and it can push the second one off too.
- A dead-center hit stops your stone. Stones of equal weight trade almost all their speed in a straight-on collision, so your shooter stays put. A glancing hit sends both stones off at an angle.
- Use only the power you need. A full-strength miss sails right off the board. Half power is plenty for a nearby target.
On Hard, the computer test-fires thousands of angle and power combinations through the same physics engine before every shot, looking for the one that knocks your stones off while keeping its own in the middle. Start on Easy to get a feel for power.
Controls
- Shoot: press and hold one of your stones, drag backward, then release. The stone flies the opposite way.
- Power: the farther you pull, the harder the shot. An aiming line and a power bar below the board show what you will get. Power stops rising at the maximum.
- Cancel: let go after only a tiny pull and nothing happens.
- Phones: aiming continues even if your finger slides past the board. Touching anywhere other than a stone scrolls the page as usual.
Where does Alkkagi come from?
Alkkagi is a Korean folk game played with a Go board and Go stones. You do not need to know Go to play, which is why kids and adults alike have long played it at home.
It became even more widely known after Korean TV variety shows featured celebrities facing off in Alkkagi matches, and it has since been turned into many computer and mobile games. There is no official rulebook, so the number of stones and extras like a bonus shot vary from house to house.