LAN Play

Overview

Gomoku supports playing against friends on the same local network. The LAN mode uses local network discovery or direct IP:port connections to let players find and join rooms.

Key features:

• Host a room (create a match) and advertise it on the local network
• Automatic LAN discovery of available rooms
• Join directly via IP and port
• Optional chat and spectating (if enabled)

Hosting a Room (Host)

1. Open Gomoku and go to the "Online / LAN" page
2. Select "Create Room" or "Start Hosting"
3. Choose board size (e.g. 15x15 or 18x18) and match rules
4. Click "Start Hosting" — the app will show a port number (default chosen by the app)
5. Share the room name or your LAN IP with friends (example: 192.168.1.42)

The application will run a local service and broadcast the room information so other devices on the same network can discover it.

Joining a Room (Client)

Automatic discovery

1. On the "Online / LAN" page, refresh the room list
2. Select a discovered room and click "Join"

Manual join

1. Choose "Manual Join" or "Enter Address"
2. Enter the host's IP:port (for example 192.168.1.42:12345)
3. Click "Join" and wait for the connection

macOS Permissions & Network Notes

• Ensure Gomoku is allowed in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network so it can be discovered and communicate with peers.
• Devices must be on the same Wi‑Fi network; some routers have client/AP isolation which prevents discovery.
• If a firewall is enabled, allow Gomoku's incoming and outgoing traffic or open the configured port.

Troubleshooting

• Can't discover rooms: confirm Local Network permission and disable AP isolation on the router.
• Connection timed out joining a room: verify host IP/port and firewall settings.
• Lag or stutter: try a wired connection or switch to a less congested network; close other bandwidth‑heavy applications.

Logs & Persistence

Room snapshots and service state are stored in the app data directory. In sandboxed builds the path example is:

~/Library/Containers/com.w3cub.gomoku/Data/Library/Application Support/com.w3cub.gomoku/

See the project documentation docs/macos-sandbox-paths.md for more details on locating logs.

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If you want screenshots or a step‑by‑step walkthrough added to this guide, tell me and I will add them.