NodesDot Official Rules

Last updated: February 19, 2026

1. Objective

Finish the game with the higher score.
Scoring: +10 points per captured opponent stone.
Scoring: +1 point per newly conquered intersection.

2. Basic Gameplay

The game is played on board intersections.
Players alternate turns placing one stone each turn.
Player 1 always starts.
You cannot play on occupied, conquered, or dead-node positions.

3. Classic Mode Conquest

After a move, cells connected to the board edge are outside.
Cells not connected to the edge are enclosed.
Enclosed opponent stones are captured for points.
All enclosed cells become conquered territory.

4. Wall Mode

The board is partitioned into regions not occupied by your stone or territory.
The strongest region survives; other regions are conquered.
Opponent stones inside conquered regions are captured.
Conquered cells are locked and cannot be played by either player.

5. Passing, Ending, and First-Capture

You may pass your turn.
The game ends when both players pass consecutively.
In First-Capture mode, the first capture wins immediately.
Outside First-Capture mode, winner is determined by final score.

6. Timers

Timed games use a total time bank per player.
Only the active player's timer counts down.
When your timer reaches zero, you lose on time.
Timer activation starts after both players have made at least one move.