Reversi is the classic disc-flipping strategy game on an 8 × 8 board. Place a disc so that a straight line of your opponent’s discs is trapped between it and one of yours, and the whole line flips to your colour. Corners can never be flipped, edges are strong, and the lead can swing wildly right up to the last move. Play a computer opponent on easy, normal or hard, or challenge a friend on the same device.
How to play Reversi
Goal: Finish with more discs of your colour than your opponent.
Keyboard & mouse
- Click a square to place a disc
- Arrow keys move between squares, Enter or Space places
- P or Escape to pause
Phone & tablet
- Tap a square to place a disc
- Faint dots show your legal moves (turn off in Options)
Rules
- Dark moves first. Place a disc so it traps one or more straight lines of rival discs between it and another of your discs.
- Every trapped disc — across, down or diagonally — flips to your colour.
- If you have no legal move you must pass; when neither player can move, the game ends.
- Most discs wins (empty squares go to the winner). Against the computer, you alternate colours each game.
- Wins score 100 + 2 per disc of margin, multiplied by the computer level.
Tips and strategy
- Corners can never be flipped — they are the most valuable squares.
- Avoid the squares diagonally next to an empty corner: they hand your opponent the corner.
- Early on, fewer discs and more options is often better than grabbing lots of discs.
- Try to leave your opponent with as few legal moves as possible.
