Reversi

Outflank your opponent's discs to flip them to your color. Play the classic 8 × 8 game with Othello rules against a three-level computer or a friend on the same screen.

How to use the Reversi

1. Choose a mode. Play vs Computer (Easy, Medium or Hard) or 2 players on one device. Black always moves first.
2. Place a disc on one of the dotted squares. A move is valid only if it traps at least one line of your opponent's discs.
3. Watch the flips. Every trapped disc in all eight directions turns to your color.
4. Pass when stuck. If you have no valid move, your turn is skipped automatically.
5. Finish with more discs. The game ends when neither player can move; the player with the most discs wins.

Reversi rules in brief

The game is played on an 8 × 8 board with 64 discs that are black on one side and white on the other. It starts with four discs in the center: white on d4 and e5, black on d5 and e4. Black moves first.

• A legal move places a disc so that one or more straight lines of the opponent's discs are trapped between the new disc and another disc of your color.
• Trapped discs flip in every direction at once: horizontal, vertical and diagonal.
• If you have no legal move you must pass. If you do have one, you must play.
• The game ends when neither player can move, usually when the board is full. The player with more discs wins.

Board regions every player should know

Strategy tips

• Mobility beats material. Try to keep many possible moves for yourself and few for your opponent. Flipping lots of discs early often just gives the opponent more choices.
• Prefer quiet moves. Moves that flip few discs and don't touch empty squares (fewer "frontier" discs) are usually stronger.
• Go for stable discs. Corners and full edge lines anchored on a corner can't be flipped and count at the end.
• Use parity in the endgame. Aim to make the last move in each empty region of the board, so your opponent is forced to open regions for you.

Frequently asked questions

Related tools