Reversi

Play Reversi online free against the computer — the classic disc-flipping strategy game also known as Othello. You are black; trap the bot’s discs between yours to flip them, and own the most of the board at the end. Deep yet easy to learn, playable on phone or desktop with no download and no sign-up.

How to play

• You play the black discs and move first; the bot plays white.
• Legal moves are highlighted on the board.
• Place a disc so it traps one or more of the bot’s discs in a straight line between your new disc and another of yours.
• Every trapped disc in that line flips to your colour.
• If you have no legal move, your turn is passed.
• When the board fills, the player with the most discs wins.

The four corners can never be flipped, so grabbing them is the surest path to victory — and avoid the squares next to an empty corner, which hand the corner to your opponent. Counter-intuitively, having fewer discs in the midgame is often good, since more options let you dictate the endgame.

More about Reversi

Reversi was devised in 1880s England, then repackaged in 1971 Japan as Othello, the name under which it became a worldwide bestseller. Discs constantly flip colour, so a big lead can vanish in a move or two — which is why grabbing lots of early pieces is usually a trap. Experienced players fight for the corners, which can never be flipped, and give up edge discs to force the opponent into bad moves.

Prefer a real board? Reversi is sold as the classic Othello board game. As an Amazon Associate, izn.games earns from qualifying purchases.