Renju Club is one of those classic Game Boy puzzlers that sneaks up on you—it looks simple at first, just black and white stones on a grid, but then suddenly you're three moves deep into a trap you didn't even see coming. It's basically a stripped-down version of Go with a faster, more aggressive twist. The AI isn't messing around either; even on the lower difficulties, it'll punish lazy moves.

First time I booted it up, I figured I'd breeze through a few rounds. Nope. The opening tutorial does a decent job explaining the rules (five in a row wins, but there are some sneaky restrictions), but the real learning happens when the CPU starts dropping stones in places you didn’t even consider. The board’s small enough to feel manageable, but tight enough that every move matters.

If you're into abstract strategy games, this one's a solid time-killer. Just don’t expect to win right away.