A strange little side quest
Gomoku belongs to a much longer story of play than a browser tab might suggest. The first crossword puzzle book appeared in 1924 in a cautious initial printing of 3,600 copies, complete with a free pencil. A second detail makes the picture even better: Pong was field-tested in California bars in 1972 and helped launch the modern arcade-game era. That gives Gomoku a little more company than it first appears to have.