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Pentago — strategy & combinatorics

💡Benefits

Pentago is tic-tac-toe with a twist: every turn rotates one quarter of the board. It trains thinking several moves ahead, spatial imagination and flexible thinking (Diamond, 2013). Because the rotation changes the position each time, children learn to keep looking for new opportunities.

🎮How to play

The board is 6×6, split into four 3×3 quarters. A turn has two steps: first place a marble on an empty cell, then rotate one of the 4 quarters by 90° (clockwise or counter-clockwise) — rotating is mandatory. After the rotation, whoever has 5 marbles in a row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) wins. Play vs the robot (4 levels) or a friend.

📚Scientific sources

  1. Diamond (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Executive+functions+Diamond+2013+Annual+Review+of+Psychology

❓Frequently asked questions

Yes, Pentago on MentalMath is free and playable without registration.
Placing a marble and then rotating a quadrant reinforces strategic planning and thinking several moves ahead.
Pentago calls for complex thinking against an opponent, so it suits children from about 7-8 years.
After placing a marble you rotate one quadrant, which forces you to weigh not only your own line of five but also how the rotation will affect the opponent.
Yes, it is comfortable on a phone, tablet, or computer; a few games a week is enough to sharpen strategy.
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🧮 See the mental arithmetic lessons too