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Astrial – Spherical Go on a Snub Dodecahedron

Astrial – Spherical Go on a Snub Dodecahedron

by mingli_yuan·Apr 15, 2026·3 points·2 comments

AI Analysis

●●●BangerNiche GemBig BrainCozy

Spherical Go on a snub dodecahedron removes corners and edges entirely.

Strengths
  • Topological variant eliminates edge/corner strategy, forcing new tactical approaches.
  • Fully functional multiplayer with rankings, live games, and Superko rules.
  • Area-based scoring adapted for 300 quadrilateral faces on a closed sphere.
Weaknesses
  • No AI bots mentioned for solo practice against the unusual topology.
  • Niche appeal limits player pool compared to standard 19x19 Go servers.
Category
Target Audience

Go players, math enthusiasts, board game designers

Similar To

Online Go Server · Little Golem · KGS Go Server

Post Description

Astrial (星逐) is an online Go variant played on the surface of a sphere. The board is a subdivided snub dodecahedron — an Archimedean solid — giving 302 intersections connected as a closed spherical graph. No edges, no corners, every direction is equivalent.

The topology creates a mix of 3-, 4-, and 5-degree vertices, so each point has a different number of liberties. 5-degree points border more (and larger) faces, making them the most valuable territory; 3-degree points are the easiest to surround. Scoring is area-based: the sphere's 300 quadrilateral faces are allocated proportionally to surrounding stones, with a 2.5% komi for White.

Standard Go rules apply — alternating play, capture when no liberties, no suicide, and positional Superko. The game ends on two consecutive passes.

https://astrial.app

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