Five In A Row modifies the gameplay of the competitive board game Five In A Row, also called Go, alluding to individuals’ isolation and reconnection in the society undergoing the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the tension of competition, rivals form a tacit agreement to reach the same goal. Although only the one who first successfully makes the five-stone connections win, rivals are making it together.
Five In A Row is a modified strategy board game based on the original Five In a Row, also called Gomoku or Go. I created it in 2021. New rules encourage separation at the early stage of the game because going straight towards 5 stones in a row risks losing when reaching the 3 stones. Under the competitive framework, a tacit agreement between rivals is formed, in which the safest strategy to win the game is to put stones spatially separate from others and find ways to form a chain when there is no more space for separation. The Go board is a metaphor for our society under the COVID-19 pandemic and stones represent individuals who have been isolated and seeking to reconnect with each other.
Five In A Row Materials: MDF wood, Go stones, instruction Dimensions: 15.5×15.5×5 inches (W×L×D) Date: 2021
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