Interplay

About this board game

Interplay is a two-player Go-Moku elaboration played in about 20 minutes, combining five-in-a-row objectives with three distinct piece types and changing positions.

Players must get five pieces in a row, but a simple line is not enough. To win, a player must create one of three specified patterns, such as N-W-N-W-N. The required arrangement makes every placement part of a larger pattern-building challenge.

The game uses three kinds of pieces:

• A narrow cylinder
• A wide cylinder
• A wide tube

The narrow cylinder fits inside the wide tube, allowing those two pieces to share the same space. This is permitted only when the pieces belong to opposite players, adding a distinctive spatial interaction to the line-making contest.

At first, players place new pieces. Once there are no more new pieces to be placed, the game introduces another option: pieces may be moved. This shift from placement to movement gives the board a changing structure as players continue working toward one of the winning patterns.

Released in 1980, Interplay presents familiar five-in-a-row foundations with unusual piece shapes, conditional sharing of spaces, and a later movement phase. Its compact two-player format and approximately 20-minute playing time make the central pattern challenge clear and focused.