Alkkagi is a Korean game played on a go board, but nobody places a stone: you flick them with your finger and try to knock every one of your opponent's stones off the edge. Alkkagi ยท Stone Flicking (2 players) on Cantong brings it to a phone, tablet or PC that two people share, taking turns on the same screen. No account, no install. Pick how many stones each side gets, 3, 5, 7 or 10, drag your stones into position in your own half before the first shot, then grab one, pull it back like a slingshot, let go, and watch it fly. The first side to clear the other's stones wins.
How to play
- On the title screen choose the number of stones per side: 3, 5, 7 or 10. The default is 5, and your choice is remembered on this device. Skim the four rule lines and press the start button. There's also a share button if you want to send a friend the link first.
- The board opens in a setup phase. A lime dotted line across the middle marks the border between the two camps: the bottom half belongs to Black, the top half to White. The stones begin in a row on each side, and each player drags their stones with a finger or the mouse to any spot inside their half. Stones can't be dragged off the board or across the line, and they won't land on top of another stone.
- When both sides are happy, press "Done, start!" in the bar under the board. Black goes first. On your turn each of your stones wears a steady lime ring, and your player card at the top glows with the same lime border.
- Press and hold one of your stones, then drag it away from where you want it to go. A red rubber band stretches between the stone and your finger, a short white dotted line in front of the stone points the way it will fly, and a gauge around the stone fills from green through yellow to red. The dotted line is only an arrow: it shows the direction, not how far the stone will travel.
- Release. The stone shoots off in the opposite direction, slides across the wood and slows down with friction. Hit another stone and sparks fly; a really hard collision shakes the screen a little.
- Once every stone has come to rest, the turn passes. Any stone whose centre crosses the edge drops off the board and is out. Knock all the enemy stones off and the trophy overlay appears with a play-again button, a share button and a way back to the title.
Rules
The board is a square wooden go board with a 19-line grid and star points. Each side has exactly the number of stones you chose, 3, 5, 7 or 10, starting wherever you placed them in setup, and there are no other pieces, so the whole game comes down to placement, aim and power. The board scales to fit the screen, and a finger on a phone or a mouse on a PC drags and pulls the same way.
- During setup, Black's stones stay in the bottom half and White's in the top half. Dragging towards the line or the edge simply stops at the boundary, and a spot already taken by another stone is refused, so leave a little gap. Nothing can be flicked until setup is over, and undo has nothing to undo yet.
- One flick per turn, and only your own stones. Touch an opponent's stone and the message line reminds you that you can only flick your own; touch anything while stones are still rolling and it asks you to wait until they stop.
- The further you pull, the harder the stone flies, up to a cap. Past a certain distance the gauge stays red and the power doesn't grow any more. A tiny pull that barely moves doesn't fire at all, so if you grabbed the wrong stone you can simply let go.
- Collisions are elastic. The struck stone takes the momentum and rolls away, and the harder the hit, the further it travels.
- A stone is out the moment its centre leaves the board, and it falls away with a little drop animation. That includes your own stone if you flick it too hard.
- Knock every enemy stone off to win. If your stones are all gone first, you lose.
| Stones per side | Chosen on the title screen: 3, 5, 7 or 10. Default 5, remembered on this device. |
|---|---|
| Stones left | Each player card shows remaining/total, so a side that started with 7 and lost three reads 4/7. |
| Move counter | The number between the cards counts every flick so far. |
| Undo | Restores the position from before the last flick. Unlimited, but not while stones are moving, and it doesn't apply during setup. |
| New game | Starts over from setup; you'll be asked to confirm if a game is in progress. |
| Resign | Tap once and the button asks you to confirm; tap again within 2.5 seconds and the side whose turn it is resigns. |
The result overlay states the reason in one line, such as "Black knocked every enemy stone off" or a resignation, and keeps a running tally of wins and losses for as long as the page stays open. Reload the page and the tally starts fresh. Play again keeps the same stone count and goes back to setup so you can rearrange; to change the count, return to the title screen. The share button sends the result text and the app link through your device's share sheet, or copies the link if there isn't one.
Tips
- Setup is your first move. Stones near the rim go out with the lightest touch, so keep yours away from the edge, and don't pack them shoulder to shoulder or one shot can rattle the whole group.
- Look for clusters. When two or three enemy stones sit close together, aim between them and one shot can scatter the lot, often pushing one over the edge.
- Target the opponent's edge stones first. They barely need a nudge, so a green-gauge shot is usually enough.
- Power isn't everything. A full-red shot at a stone right in front of you will send your own stone off the far side too. Practise releasing at yellow and get a feel for how far a stone travels.
- For a stone directly in front of you, a gentle push works like a stop shot in billiards: your stone stays put and the enemy stone does the travelling.
- The white dotted line is short on purpose. It tells you the direction and nothing else, so distance is something you learn from the gauge colour and your last few shots. A couple of quick games at 3 stones a side is the fastest way to calibrate.
- With 10 stones a side the board is crowded and one shot pushes two or three stones at once, so games run long and swing wildly. Pick 3 for a quick decider, 10 for a long evening.
FAQ
Which way do I drag?
Think slingshot. Pull the stone backwards, away from the target, and it flies forwards. The short white dotted line in front of the stone always points where it will go; it just doesn't tell you how far.
How do I control the power?
The ring around the stone fills green, then yellow, then red. Red is the maximum; pulling further doesn't add anything. Green is enough to nudge a neighbouring stone, and yellow or more will carry a stone across the board.
My own stone fell off. Does that count?
Yes. Any stone that leaves the board is out, whether it was flicked or hit, so a side that started with 5 drops to 4/5. If it was an accident you can undo before the next flick.
Can I change the number of stones or the layout?
Yes, both. The stone count is set on the title screen with the 3, 5, 7 and 10 buttons, and the choice is saved on your device. The layout is set in the setup phase right after you press start: drag each stone anywhere inside your own half (Black bottom, White top), then press "Done, start!". If you're happy with the starting rows you can press it straight away without moving anything. The count can't be changed once a game has begun; go back to the title screen to pick a different one.
Is there a computer opponent or online play?
No. This is a two-player game on a single device: pass the phone across or sit on either side of the screen and take turns. You can practise alone by flicking for both sides, but there's no AI.
Does it make any sound?
No, the game is silent. Collisions are shown with sparks and a screen shake instead, so it's fine to play somewhere quiet.
More games to play together
- Gomoku (2 players) โ Five in a row on the same go board, by placing rather than flicking.
- Reversi ยท Othello (2 players) โ Flip your opponent's discs and hold the corners.
- Janggi ยท Korean Chess (2 players) โ Korean chess, with a face-to-face mode for the player sitting opposite.
- Chess (2 players) โ Full-rules chess for two on one device.
- Minesweeper โ For when you're on your own and want a quick puzzle.