How to play Reversi
- The board has 64 squares. Each player starts with two discs in the middle, set out diagonally. Orange goes first in the first round, and the first move switches every round after that.
- On your turn, place a disc so that it traps one or more of your rival's discs in a straight line between your new disc and another of yours: across, up and down, or diagonally.
- Every trapped disc turns over to your colour. One disc can trap lines in several directions at once, and they all turn.
- Your move must turn over at least one disc. The squares you can play are marked with a dot. If you have no move at all, you pass and your rival plays again.
- The game ends when neither player can move, usually because the board is full. The player with more discs wins. The same number of discs is a draw.
Controls
| Device | How to play |
|---|---|
| Phone or tablet | Tap one of the squares marked with a dot |
| Mouse | Click a marked square |
| Keyboard | Press Tab to move between the squares you can play, then Enter to place your disc |
The two counters above the board show how many discs each player has right now.
Computer levels
The computer sees only the board, just like you. It gets stronger by looking further ahead at the moves that could follow, never by cheating.
| Level | How the computer plays |
|---|---|
| Easy | Usually grabs the move that turns over the most discs, and sometimes plays at random. Good for learning. |
| Medium | Looks two moves ahead and knows that corners matter, but still slips up now and then. |
| Hard | Looks five moves ahead. Once only ten squares are left, it plays perfectly to the end. |
| Expert | Thinks as far ahead as it can in about a second, and works out the last dozen or so moves exactly. Very hard to beat. |
Tips to win
- Take the corners. A disc in a corner can never be turned over, and it lets you build safe lines along the edges.
- Keep away from the squares next to an empty corner. A disc there often hands your rival the corner on the next move.
- More discs isn't always better. Early in the game, having fewer discs but more choices of move is usually stronger. Try to leave your rival with only bad moves.
- Watch the edges. Discs on an edge are harder to turn over than discs in the middle, but a careless edge move can still be trapped.
- Count at the end. In the last few moves, every disc counts. Look for the move that turns over the most and leaves your rival nothing good.
About Reversi
Reversi was invented in England in the 1880s. Two Englishmen, Lewis Waterman and John W. Mollett, each claimed to have invented it, and it was a popular game in Britain by the end of the century. In early versions, players took turns to place the first four discs wherever they liked in the middle. The version played here, where every game starts from the same four discs, spread around the world in the 1970s. The rules take a minute to learn, but the board can swing from one colour to the other in the last few moves, which is a big part of the fun.
Questions
Is Reversi free?
Yes. It's free to play in your browser, with no download and no sign-up. There are never ads during a game.
Can two people play on one phone?
Yes. Choose 2 Players and take turns on the same screen. The squares you can play are marked in your colour, so it's always clear whose turn it is.
What happens if I can't move?
If no square would turn over any of your rival's discs, you pass and your rival plays again. The game tells you when this happens. If neither player can move, the game is over.
Can Reversi end in a draw?
Yes. If both players have the same number of discs when the game ends, for example 32 each on a full board, the round is a draw.
Updated 6 November 2026