How to play Punigo
Last updated: October 2, 2026
Punigo is Go for first-timers, played on small boards with stones that have faces. These guides take you from the rules and the controls to winning tips and practice problems, in an order you can read straight through.
New to Go? Start with “Starting a game” and “The four rules in detail”. Once the rules make sense, move on to “Capturing and escaping” and “Living and dead stones”, then check yourself with the practice problems. With only four rules, you can also play a game first and come back to read about whatever puzzled you.
Starting a gameStarting a game, what the buttons do, scoring, and sharing your games.The four rules in detailPlace, capture, don't repeat, count the stones. Illegal moves explained with diagrams.Capturing and escapingAtari, escaping, double atari and the snapback, with diagrams.Living and dead stones (all about eyes)Two eyes means you can't be captured. Plus how to fill your territory at the end.10 practice problems (capturing, escaping, living)Ten problems from easy to harder, with answers and explanations.Tips to win on 5×5Start in the middle, stay connected, watch for atari, cut them apart, keep two eyes.Tips for 7×7 and 9×9Surround territory, keep groups few, close your borders.Punigo vs. regular GoJungo counts only stones; regular Go counts territory. Moving on to 19×19.Frequently asked questionsPrice, AI strength, illegal moves, games that won't end, and more.
About the diagrams
Every diagram is drawn with Punigo's actual board, and the stone faces work just like in the game: stones in danger look worried (see “Starting a game” for how to read the faces). The rules are based on “Jungo”, where the winner is decided by the number of stones on the board (see “Punigo vs. regular Go”).
