Rules
Blind Omok is five-in-a-row (omok) played without a board in sight. Two players call coordinates in turn and have to keep the whole game in their heads.
Calling
The board is 15x15. Columns are A to O from left to right, rows 1 to 15 from bottom to top; H8 is the centre. On your turn you call one point. Every call is announced, so both players always know the full game, if they can remember it.
Points you cannot play
- A point that already has a stone.
- A point that would give you two open threes at once (a “3-3”). This applies to both players. A move that makes five in a row is always allowed.
A refused call is announced. You may call again once per round. After that, a refused call loses your turn.
Winning
Five or more of your stones in an unbroken line, across, down or diagonally, wins the round. The first player to win two rounds wins the match.
Our version
- From the show: no board for the players, 2 minutes per call, no 3-3, a single re-call, best of three rounds, and the loser of a round calling first in the next.
- One re-call per round. The show’s rule says a re-call is allowed only once; we give each player one per round. Once it is used, a refused call loses the turn (no stone is placed).
- First call of the match: a coin flip (on the show, the top player of the ace selection chose).
- After a round the board is shown face up for a few seconds, then the next round starts.
- Timer: 2 minutes per call, as on the show. Running out of time loses the turn.
- Call log: on by default, listing every call of the round. Turn it off in Settings to play the way the show did.
- The AI hears every call like you, but forgets some older stones (often on easy, rarely on hard), so it can call a taken point too.
Sources: Namu Wiki’s account of the episode.
Strategy
Play close to the centre. H8 and its neighbours are easy to name and easy to picture.
Talk to yourself. Group your stones in a shape you can name: “a diagonal from G7 to J10” is easier to keep than six separate points.
Remember their last three. Most threats come from the most recent stones. Replay the last few calls in your head before you call.
Save your re-call. It is your safety net for the whole round. When unsure whether a point is free, pick another good point you are sure of.