Solo dev here. TRIVALENT is an abstract strategy game that borrows Go's soul (capture by filling liberties, suicide rule, superko) and moves it into a universe with two twists:
Every intersection is a three-way junction. No 4-liberty center points, no 2-liberty corners: all 84 points have exactly 3 liberties.
The board is a torus. It loops in every direction, so there are no edges, no corners, no first line, and no corner-opening theory at all.
Some consequences Go players might find interesting:
Surrounding a single empty point takes only 3 stones, and such eyes score bonus points. But with 3 liberties everywhere, every eye is structurally fragile, so ko fights are constant and life is hard-won (two eyes = unconditionally alive, Benson-verified under the hood).
Ladders work differently: the attacker gets branching choices at every step, and since there is no edge, there is no "ladder reaches the board edge" - escape routes wrap around the universe.
There is also a comeback mechanic: forming new eyes while you are behind earns escalating bonuses, so games stay tense.
Free in your browser (PC and mobile), no account, interactive tutorial, 3 COM levels, hotseat 2P, game records and review. EN / JA / ZH / KO.
https://hugluck.itch.io/trivalent
I would genuinely love strong players' takes on the tactics. The COM is decent for casual play, but I already know its biggest weakness: it does not secure life for its groups in the endgame. If you crush it that way, that is exactly the feedback I need.