Reviews

• 

  C_Czar

  Dec 31, 2021

  This is the most economical version of this game on Steam. The game is excellent, and "Ancient Go" offers a nice simulation of a traditional set; which I appreciate. I am somewhat disappointed that this program does not seem to allow saving, replay, or commentary on prior games, stored in standard .SGF formatted files. I urge the developers to add those features for the benefit of the community of their patrons. I have successfully used this program to access the Online Go Server (OGS), using the account I created previously on the OGS web-site; but, I have not yet played a game through this client-interface. I have been involved with the national organizations registered with the International Go Federation (IGF), and acted as a Director of the Canadian Go Association (CGA) from 2009-2016. I have offered public demonstrations and workshops to introduce the game to people of all ages for over 15 years. I would be pleased to collaborate with the developers of the "Ancient Go" program, to revise the basic introduction to the game's rules and elementary strategies for beginners, so that the learning curve for appreciating the depth of the play may be eased. My website is www.goforall.ca Supplemental: I have now played 2 games against the AI... It is quite weak, even on the Maximum setting; although, I'm sure it's adequate to challenge beginners until they are around 10-kyu rating. I would like to be able to offer the AI handicap-stones, and play as White against the computer. Similarly, I do not see how to offer or negotiate a proper handicap between live (human) players through Steam---that is an essential feature that must be added ASAP. I have also noticed that the "Achievements" are virtually meaningless in that the majority of them do not represent having attained any sort of 'insight' into how to play the game well; and, neither do they present any worthwhile 'goals' in understanding the fundamentals of the game. Capturing stones should not be encouraged, or rewarded, since "the capture of stones is most often an inefficient use of resources" (from an economic standpoint). This application does not yet equal the functionality of any of the major free-to-play GO-servers on the web... It's only advantage is the convenience of playing Go (AKA weiqi or baduk) without leaving the Steam interface, and higher-resolution visual simulation of real-world equipment.
• 

  Ninjaboots

  Sep 16, 2016

  Early Access Day 1 review: Edit: Thumbs up because it looks promising. (I'd hold off getting it until counting method issues are resolved, hopefully.) Project seems promising. It includes basic tutorials for rules and scoring, a VS. AI mode and an Online multiplayer mode. The AI is not particularly strong on any setting (Hard is when it starts playing slightly better moves, maximum tends to take a bit more time to play moves, but not a LOT of time.) So (at least at this stage) the AI is really meant for beginners. It would be nice to get a stronger one later down the line, but I'd rather see good multiplayer added than the focus be on AI. The UI is polished and pretty. It seems simplistic, but in the same way that Go is "simple", giving it a nice "relaxed", almost elegant look. A few notes: At the current stage, it does NOT appear as though you can do the following: *You cannot Select custom Komi values (7.5 is way too much on small boards! I usually play with 6.5 komi on 19x19 anyway...) *You cannot Choose to play Black or White (It always made me black? Maybe the Host is always black?) *You cannot Choose different scoring methods (Japanese and Chinese (area counting) being the most important of these. Are points in mutual life counted as points? I haven't encountered this yet so I'm not sure...) *You cannot Choose different timing options for the game (e.g., Canadian Byo-yomi or Japanese Byo-yomi) All of these will be vital things to add, in my opinion, to make the title complete and robust. The lack of scoring methods really stuck out to me, as requiring people to capture "dead" stones in their territory may teach them the value of filling in dame, or "neutral" points first, but not all scoring methods will allow you to play stones within your territory without penalty. As a side note, I am not a fan of including "two eyes" in the tutorial. I believe needing "two eyes" is an emergent property of groups, which are not made until they are needed, so they should not be taught as required... Teaching the concept of "two eyes" being required for life has often made beginners I'm teaching/facing over-concentrate, allowing me to gain the upper hand everywhere else on the board. This is a bad habit I have to try to knock out of them. "Two eyes" isn't a rule, it's just something you learn a group needs space to 'eventually' make in order to live 'if' required. I look forward to seeing what this project becomes in the future! I am very excited to be able to share and play Go with friends on steam!
• 

  tarkada

  Sep 24, 2016

  The scoring system needs an overhaul before i can reccomend this game. I lost a game due to the fact that i dislike playing dame moves(end game moves that make no points between groups) and I hadn't read that the opponent gets a point everytime you pass which is mostly my fault for not reading. 8 dame moves later and their komi and I lose. I also was not reimbursed for capturing stones that were dead in my territories but had to be captured for the games counting system( I was looking and was at 76 then after the capture I was at 75?). I enjoy Go and want this game to succeed on Steam but i just dont like the counting system as it is. I don't have any complaints about the aesthetic or the AI speed. It's nicely paced music and gameplay to match for a nice relaxing round of Go.
• 

  PobreFeioFracoBurro

  Nov 24, 2016

  A very promising game. With a very thoughtful, competent and accepting developer. Highly recommend. Worth every cent invested. It's been months and I can say: The game is getting better and better. Buy!
• 

  DeltaFox762

  Jan 23, 2017

  For starters, I'm thankful someone put together a go game for Steam! I'm hopeful that the game will evolve and can see the direction and intent and for that I am satisfied to recommend. However, it's not a finished product and it shows. I wouldn't quite compare it to Ikari Warriors, but I just did. Price is right when the game is done. Please continue the good work started!
• 

  PCGamesRule

  Mar 2, 2017

  I recommend this game. I'm brand new to Go and it's teaching me how to play. The recently added UNDO feature is very helpful for those moments when you've blundered and want a chance to try a different approach. The music and sound effects are calming. The game is easy to get into and out of for those times when you'd like a challenge but not one that takes too long (assuming you picked a smaller board to play of course). Despite being early access, the game plays like a finished product. Keep up the good work 9/10 holding out a star as I wait for hints :)
• 

  shu

  Apr 2, 2017

  Nice intro to Go, with tutorials and indicators for illegal moves and territory, and AIs to start experiencing moves and patterns for the game. Great learning tool.
• 

  Action Hank

  May 31, 2017

  If you're looking for an offline AI to just take around, sure, it's an ok small purchase. If you're looking to play online, I think I may just suggest using online-go dot com instead of this, since this only acts as a client for the already free website. A few nit picks with it: the options menu is woefully lacking. Resolution would be great, and it's not quite clear whether 'in' or 'out' is on or off with the options (out is 'off' since I got an achievement for turning off hints) And speaking of hints: I don't think it's quite fair to have a client for another website provide hints, even optional, when the website doesn't provide them. I'm a noob, no bones about it, and I've overlooked an easy atari more times than I can count. This program points them out for you, optionally. That just doesn't sit right with me for online play, but I wouldn't complain if it were regulated to AI matches. And a last big complaint: there is no chat functionality in the program. If you want to talk to anyone on the website you've got to log in with your phone or other device.
• 

  Vino [Olive Garden]

  Jun 4, 2017

  [h1]Go and Ancient Go[/h1] Ancient Go is a barebones Go client for Steam. If you don't know about Go, it's an abstract strategy board game that is thousands of years old yet still popular today. It is unique in many respects; you can learn more and try it out free at [url=online-go.com]Online Go[/url]. The rest of this review will focus specifically on this software, not the game itself, which is excellent. Ancient Go features a 3D model of a Go game, a rudimentary AI, and can function as a basic client for the Online Go Server. OGS is a large and established community of Go players so you should be able to find a game at any skill level any time of day. I was not able to get that feature to work (it kept saying my username and password were wrong, though I was able to log in on my browser just fine) but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and assume this is just a temporary bug. This software has the features any Go client worth installing *must* have, but it lacks the features such a client *should* have. In order of importance, these include: [list] [*]A tutorial for concepts beyond surrounding territory on capturing Go is a game of endless depth, and I was sad to see that the tutorial doesn't even touch on it. There is no advice after you get through the "how to play" content; you can only play against an AI in freeplay matches and try to work it out yourself. [*]Puzzles Puzzles are a huge step for beginning players as they learn on small-scale the common tactical tricks and pitfalls that pop up dozens of times every game. Without a solid knowledge of these basic interactions, newbies are guaranteed to lose game after game for simple mistakes. This is frustrating and unsatisfying. Go clients must have puzzles! [*]Campaign Mode Combining the two above features into a campaign that lets the player feel like they're progressing would turn this into an actual product worth paying for. I'm not asking for a fully voice-acted epic story, just something that brings a player to novice level skill in a way more compelling than grinding joyless, identical AI games. [*]A more feature-rich OGS client Currently this client lacks chat and many other standard features. The developer says this is intentional and will likely not change. This means there is little difference from playing against an AI, except it takes longer to get replies on your moves. Having players to chat with and ask questions is critical to new Go players; only the most masochistic can lose the requisite 100 games without any feedback other than "You lose, good luck figuring out why that happened". [*]Cosmetic customization of the board, stones, lighting, background Right now you can only look at a plain wood board with classic shell/slate stones on an ugly black void background. There's no customization options of any sort, and the existing aesthetic is so traditional that it adds little to the game experience compared to a simple 2D image. I was really shocked how bad this is, considering the graphics are literally the only advantage this has over more traditional methods -- and it's not even as good as [url=store.steampowered.com/app/286160/Tabletop_Simulator]Tabletop Simulator[/url], a much more popular, versatile, and extendable piece of software. [/list] [h1]Final Thoughts[/h1] I'm not sure who the target audience for Ancient Go is. People who take the game seriously are used to the rich, efficient, and *free* clients that already exist and will likely not drop their features and cash just to get a render of a board and an additional potential point of failure in online matches. People who are new/casual Go players are going to need more help than "here's how to place stones, here's what 'ko' means, good luck!". Even when one tempers expectations (a $5 price point, a dev team of one) Ancient Go is a letdown. I hope the developer continues to work on it and I can update my review to a more positive rating. As of now, it's just too bare; visit [url=online-go.com]Online Go[/url] for everything this game can do and 10x more, for free and without installing anything. Then, if you love the game and want to spend money to play in a cool 3D environment and let your steam friends know you're doing so, buy Tabletop Simulator instead.
• 

  scrwbll19

  Jun 5, 2017

  "Ancient Go" aims to be an app for total beginners to Go, which is great. Currently, outside of "Ancient Go," the only other app out there on Steam is "Crazy Stone Deep Learning -The First Edition-," which is $79.99. However, "Crazy Stone" is arguably meant for committed Go players, who are much stronger at the game. So, "Ancient Go" is a cheaper alternative for "Crazy Stone" that allows the Steam community to start playing Go at a cheaper price. That said, "Ancient Go" has its strengths and weaknesses. + A relatively flexible and potentially strong AI. + Access to the Online Go Server (OGS) via a free account, which allows for getting a rank. + Tutorials to get started. + Allows for changes in board size. + Can change scoring rules. + Beautiful GUI. + Steam achievements for encouraging beginners. + Can play against friends on Steam (I have yet to try this.) + The developer seems to listen to user input, judging by changes made in the past. + The app helps bring awareness of Go to the general gaming community via Steam. + Supports different rule sets. + The developer appears to be working on further updates for the future. + Visual hints included for weaker players. + Undo feature to allow players to learn from mistakes. - The AI tends to play tactically, not strategically, even at stronger levels. - The jump between the difficulty levels is too large for people to smoothly progress through. - Does not allow players to add handicap stones. - Currently cannot chose sides with the AI. - Currently cannot vary the komi with the AI. - Capture Go for beginners is not available as an option. - Little advantage to the online play now, unless one's internet browser is broken. - Only access to the OGS server is allowed. (KGS, IGS, TyGem, etc. are not available.) - Does not teach Go terminology (i.e., atari, ko, tsumego, tesuji, joseki, etc.) - Does not recommend/provide other resources (i.e., books, Go problems, etc.) - Cannot change graphic settings. - AI tends to play moves that make no sense (i.e., self-atari, keeps playing when no points can be gained), even at stronger levels. - Does not explain the differences between the different rule sets. - Does not have abilities that would help users teach, save, or review games natively (unless I am missing something here). All-in-all, the app does what it sets out to do, but I would not say that it encourages players to keep playing for long periods of time and keep coming back for more. I recommend it only for the sake of the Go community to keep growing and going strong.
• 

  MikePestr

  Aug 30, 2017

  EN - Good start but I think this project is abandoned now. RU - Хорошее начало, но я думаю, что этот проект заброшен.
• 

  Hineko

  Nov 26, 2017

  Nice to play Go. If it works. you cant togle the grafics down. the first few minutes i works, then the game changes itself to the best grafic-Settings it can. and then the pc goes to hell. the game views better then it was but with 0.5 dps is the game not playable. not only the game the whole PC slows down whil the game runs. And you cant change it.
• 

  Jang Ham

  Dec 21, 2017

  If I am not mistaken, the game shown in the vedio is the fourth game between Lee Sedol and AlphaGo. (the only one where Lee beat the AI) Chinese: 如果我没有看错，视频里显示的是李世乭与AlphaGo的第四局。（唯一由李获胜的那局）
• 

  etwas_w00h

  Nov 24, 2018

  I really wanted to get into this game and I liked the premise of having an easy start and aesthetically pleasing graphics. The basics are covered in a tutorial, but if you really want to get a good start, you will want to read a few articles or books about gameplay strategies anyway. I get the elevator pitch - a simple client to get you started, but after the first games the game doesn't provide you useful resources to improve your play because it lacks the ability to analyze your games and to let you see where you made the biggest mistakes. The visuals are okay, but they also could benefit from a few more options. The elephant in the room is the fact that there are multiple and better ways to learn the game: If you want to play against human opponents, you can use online servers for free and have the ability to discuss your moves in chat. If you want to play against a computer, there are already feature-rich programs for PC and even for smartphones for free. Or maybe you get just a simple game board and play against your friends. Sadly, the developer didn't issue any updates to this game since release so I don't think there are any improvements to be expected.
• 

  Monosis

  Jan 15, 2019

  I wanted a decent, cheap and reasonably strong software to play Go during work breaks and this is pretty much perfect for me. The AI teaches you to play good shapes, to avoid overly aggressive cuts so one can improve somewhat just by grinding games vs it. That said, the tutorial is really barebones, which can be frustrating for total beginners). I strongly recommend In Sente's youtube tutorial series for beginners. Although an engine analysis would probably be out of scope of the software, having the option to save the game to a text file would be great.
• 

  randomUserId

  May 20, 2019

  Great game but it crashes in some "pass" conditions. Other cons: - By default game rules are set to "passes" generate points to the opponent. - When playing in windowed mode, the options and pass buttons are at the bottom of the window at an inaccessible location because the window is too big. Window size should be modifiable or at least smaller. Verdict: If the graphics/sounds aren't that much of an issue, get Leela instead.
• 

  Tonomagerko

  Dec 21, 2019

  The AI is terrible even on maximum. It should be 2dan but even i can beat it easily as a 10kyu player. (This means the AI should be 12 levels higher and theoretically win wit 120 points) It keeps making bad moves, attacking dead groups and invading your territory were there is noting to gain. this means you should not use this to learn to play go. You can change if a group dead is dead at the end of a game but the territory will not be recognized. So unless you plan to only play online against human players, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!
• 

  JT Elroy

  Apr 11, 2020

  So, I play Go all the time, but I'm still not all that great, I'm usually ranked around 16/17k depending on the site. I find the go AI here to be on the weak side, as I'm still able to beat the maximum difficulty AI on a 19 by 19 board without too much trouble. I've also personally had some trouble with the online functionality, so I'm pretty much stuck playing the AI that I don't feel like is helping me improve my game very much. The aesthetic quality and background music to this application is nice, but i feel like I can get a better go game out of most of free applications I've come across
• 

  CHESSFOREVER

  May 15, 2020

  I am a chess player. Not a Go player. This game has politely made that clear to me. Will I some day become a Go player? I know only one thing for certain: 14 hours falls short of the number of hours of practice necessary for me to do that. But I can't blame this game: it seems to work perfectly. There are more expensive Go games available, and I even own one. But this game will suit me for a long time to come. An impressive performance would be required to beat it with regularity, even on its second-lowest setting, it seems to me. But what do I know. I am merely a chess player.
• 

  rodlagyorch

  Sep 25, 2020

  If one of the players (AI or human player) are clearly winning, the AI will continue playing until there is almost no intersection filled. It doesn`t matter if you it the pass button 5 or 6 times. You can`t choose the color you want to play, there are no time controls and there is no resign option either. I know it´s very cheap in price but I would not recommend it.