How to play Nine Men's Morris
- The board has 24 points on three squares, one inside the other, joined by lines at the middle of each side. Each player has 9 pieces.
- Placing: players take turns putting one piece at a time on any empty point, until all 18 pieces are on the board.
- Mills: three of your pieces in a row along one line make a mill. Each time you make a new mill, you remove one of your rival's pieces from the board. You can't take a piece that's in a mill, unless all of your rival's pieces are in mills.
- Moving: once all the pieces are placed, take turns moving one piece along a line to a neighbouring empty point. A mill you break and close again counts as a new mill.
- Flying: when a player is down to 3 pieces, they may move a piece to any empty point on the board, not just a neighbouring one.
- Winning: you win when your rival has only 2 pieces left, or can't move any piece on their turn.
- Draw: if 50 moves in a row go by without anyone making a mill, the game is a draw.
Controls
- Place a piece: tap any empty point with a yellow dot.
- Move a piece: tap one of your pieces with a yellow ring, then tap where it should go.
- Remove a piece: when you make a mill, the rival pieces you're allowed to take get a red ring. Tap one.
- Keyboard: Tab moves between the points you can use, and Enter picks one.
The pieces still to be placed wait beside each player's name, and pieces that are part of a mill get a golden centre. A dashed ring marks where the last move started and ended.
Computer levels
The computer sees the same board as you and plays by the same rules. It looks ahead at the moves both of you could make, including which piece each mill would take, and judges the positions it finds by pieces left, mills made and nearly made, and room to move.
| Level | How it plays |
|---|---|
| Easy | Often makes any legal move without thinking, and otherwise looks one move ahead. |
| Medium | Looks two moves ahead: its own and your reply. |
| Hard | Looks four moves ahead. |
| Expert | Looks four moves ahead, then five and six as long as it can within about a second. |
Tips to win
- Don't rush to make mills while placing. A piece on a crossing point, where four lines meet, is worth more than a quick mill that leaves you boxed in.
- Block your rival's twos. Two of their pieces in a line with the third point empty is a mill waiting to happen. Put a piece there.
- Keep room to move. In the moving phase, a player whose pieces are all blocked loses. Leave yourself open points next to your pieces.
- Build a double mill. With five pieces arranged so that one piece can slide back and forth between two mills, you can make a mill on every turn.
- Watch out once your rival can fly. A player with three pieces can jump anywhere, so any two of their pieces in a line with an empty third point can become a mill at once.
About Nine Men's Morris
Nine Men's Morris is one of the oldest board games still played. It has been around for well over a thousand years, and morris boards have been found scratched into old stones and buildings across Europe. Its name and rules have travelled a long way, and in some places it's called Mill or Merels. The rules here are the most common ones: nine pieces each, mills that take a piece, flying with three pieces, and a draw after 50 moves without a mill.
Questions
What is a mill in Nine Men's Morris?
Three of your pieces in a row along one of the board's lines. Making one lets you take one of your rival's pieces off the board.
Can you remove a piece that's in a mill?
Only if every one of your rival's pieces is in a mill. Otherwise, you have to take a piece that isn't.
What is flying?
When a player is down to three pieces, they can move a piece to any empty point instead of a neighbouring one. It gives the player who's behind a fighting chance.
How do you win Nine Men's Morris?
Reduce your rival to two pieces, or block all of their pieces so they can't move on their turn.
Can Nine Men's Morris end in a draw?
Yes. If 50 moves in a row pass without either player making a mill, the game is a draw.
Can two people play on one phone?
Yes. Choose 2 Players and take turns on the same board. Nothing is hidden, so there's no need to pass the device in secret.
Is Nine Men's Morris free?
Yes. It's free in your browser, with no download, no sign-up and no ads during a game.
Updated 8 November 2026