Reversi Rules: How to Play Reversi and Othello
Updated
In reversi, two players take turns placing discs on an 8×8 board, and every move must trap a line of the opponent's discs between the new disc and one of your own. The trapped discs flip to your color. When neither player can move, the player with more discs showing wins.
Othello is the modern version of reversi, with a fixed starting position, and it is the rule set used in international tournaments. The rules below cover both.
The board and the discs
You need a board of 64 squares and 64 identical discs, dark on one side and light on the other. Each player keeps one color for the whole game.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Disc | One playing piece; the side facing up shows who owns it |
| Outflank | Trap a line of opponent discs between the disc you place and another of yours |
| Flip | Turn an outflanked disc over to your color |
| Pass | Lose your turn because you have no legal move |
| Corner | One of the four corner squares; a disc there can never be flipped |
How the game starts
In Othello, the game always begins with four discs in the center: two dark, two light, with the same colors on a diagonal. Dark moves first. According to the official rules of the World Othello Federation, each player has 32 discs.
The older reversi starts with an empty board. The first four moves fill the four central squares, and no discs are flipped until those squares are taken. Most boards and apps you meet today use the Othello start.
How to play reversi, step by step
- On your turn, place one disc of your color on an empty square.
- The square must outflank the opponent: in at least one straight line, horizontal, vertical or diagonal, there must be one or more opponent discs and then one of your own discs, with no gaps.
- Flip every opponent disc in every line you outflanked. One move can flip discs in several directions at once.
- Only the lines that run from the disc you just placed are flipped. Discs that turn over do not set off further flips.
- If you have no legal move, you pass and your opponent plays again. If you do have a legal move, you must play it; you cannot pass by choice.
- The game ends when the board is full, or when neither player can move.
- Count the discs. The player with more discs of their color wins. A tie, usually 32–32, is possible.
A move that flips nothing is not legal. That is the rule new players miss most often.
An example
The board shows, from left to right along one row: your dark disc, then three light discs, then an empty square. Place a dark disc on the empty square and all three light discs flip to dark. If the same square also closes a diagonal line of light discs against another dark disc, that diagonal flips too.
Scoring
At home, you simply count the discs. In tournaments, when a game ends before the board is full, the empty squares are usually added to the winner's count, as described in the Wikipedia article on reversi. Ties are not common, but they do happen; in tournaments they count as half a win for each player.
Reversi strategy for beginners
The count only matters at the very end, so the player who leads in the middle of the game often loses. Here is what stronger players think about instead.
- Take the corners. A corner disc can never be flipped, because no line can trap it. Discs along the edges next to your corner become safe too.
- Stay away from the squares next to an empty corner. A disc on the square diagonally next to a corner is the classic way to hand that corner to your opponent.
- Flip few discs early. Games magazine noted in 1982 that, paradoxically, it usually pays to limit your opponent's options by flipping as few discs as possible during the first two thirds of the game. Fewer of your discs on the board means fewer lines your opponent can use.
- Count moves, not discs. Before you play, look at how many legal moves your opponent will have after your move. Leaving them one or two bad choices is often stronger than flipping a long line.
- Be careful on the edges. An edge disc next to an empty square can be outflanked along the edge. A full edge in your color is strong; a broken one can give away a corner.
- Plan the last moves. Near the end, a forced pass can decide the game. If your opponent has no legal move, you play twice in a row.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it hurts | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Flipping the most discs every move | It leaves your opponent many lines to flip back | Keep your opponent short of good moves |
| Playing next to an empty corner | It opens the corner for your opponent | Wait until the corner is taken |
| Forgetting diagonals | You miss legal moves and flips | Check all eight directions from the square |
| Thinking you can pass | You must play whenever you have a legal move | Pass only when no square outflanks anything |
Variants
- Original reversi start. The four center squares are filled by the first moves instead of being set before the game.
- Anti-reversi. The player with fewer discs at the end wins. The placing rules are the same.
- Other board sizes. The same rules work on smaller boards, such as 6×6.
- Five in a row. Some versions keep the flipping but let you win by lining up five discs, as in gomoku.
Play reversi in your browser
Reversi Multiplayer has three modes: online against other players, against the computer, or against a friend on the same device. In Reversi Free, you click a board square marked with a sign to place your disc and flip your opponent's pieces.
Checkers is a close relative: two players, one board, and a game decided by thinking a few moves ahead. The games below the reversi pair are relatives, not reversi itself. Checkers Legend lets you set the rules variant before you play the computer or a friend on the same device, and Mind Games for 2 Player packs chess, checkers, ludo, mancala and other table games for two into one game.
For more games of this kind, open the strategy collection or the 2-player category. If checkers is next, read how to play checkers, and for a longer game, how to play chess.
Common questions about reversi and Othello
Is reversi the same as Othello?
Almost. Othello is reversi with a fixed start: four discs in the center before the first move, and dark moving first. The way discs are placed and flipped is the same.
What happens if you cannot move in reversi?
You pass, and your opponent moves again. When neither player can move, the game ends and the discs are counted.
Can you flip discs diagonally?
Yes. Lines can run horizontally, vertically or diagonally, and one move can flip discs in several directions at once.
Who goes first in reversi?
Dark, often called black, moves first in Othello. In casual games, players often agree to switch colors between games.
Take the corners, keep your opponent short of moves, and count the discs only at the end.
