Reversi

Close the line. Turn their discs. Own the board.

How to play

Finish the game with more discs of your colour on the board than your opponent.

How a turn works

1. Black moves first. Every legal square for your colour is highlighted — click or tap one to place a disc.
2. Your new disc must enclose at least one straight line of enemy discs between itself and another disc of your colour.
3. Every enclosed disc flips to your colour at once, in every direction the move encloses — horizontal, vertical and diagonal.
4. Pass the turn. If your opponent has no legal move, their turn is skipped and you move again.
5. When the board is full or neither player can move, the discs are counted and the larger total wins.

Key rules

• A move that flips nothing is illegal — you must always enclose at least one enemy disc, so there is no placing a disc “just to place it”.
• Discs are never removed; they only change colour, so a lead can swing completely in the last few moves.
• The turn passes automatically when you have no legal move — you never choose to pass, and you never have to.
• Only discs in an unbroken line flip: an empty square, or the edge of the board, ends the line before it can be enclosed.
• The game ends when the board is full or neither player can move. Equal disc counts are a draw.

Glossary

Flip

Turning an enclosed enemy disc to your colour. One placed disc can flip lines in several directions.

Corner

One of the four corner squares. A corner disc can never be flipped, so corners anchor a winning position.

Mobility

How many legal moves you have. Keeping more options than your opponent usually matters more than holding more discs early on.

Click or tap a highlighted square to place a disc. Arrow keys move across the board; Enter or Space places.

Questions

What makes a move legal in Reversi?

Your new disc must enclose at least one uninterrupted line of opposing discs against another disc of your colour. Every enclosed line flips.

What happens if I cannot move?

Your turn passes automatically. The game continues if your opponent has a legal move, and ends when neither player can move.

Can I play Reversi against a computer?

Yes — Practice with computer offers Easy, Normal and Hard opponents, works offline after the page loads, and supports undo. A short guided tutorial walks through your first moves.

Strategy guide

Reversi Strategy: Corners and Mobility — Reversi strategy for better board control: secure corners, preserve mobility, limit frontier discs, use parity and count the exact endgame.

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