Play Reversi (Othello) online
with a friend

How to play Reversi (Othello) online

1. Start a room and send the link to the other player.
2. Place a disc so that it traps an unbroken line of their discs between your new disc and one you already own.
3. Every disc you trapped flips to your colour, in every direction at once.
4. You must flip at least one disc. If you have no such move at all, your turn is skipped and they go again.
5. When neither of you can move, whoever owns more discs wins. The count is on screen the whole time.

Why Reversi (Othello) works over a distance

Reversi takes thirty seconds to explain and a long time to get good at. The board shows which squares are open to you and how many discs each would flip, so nobody has to squint at diagonals to work out whether a move is legal.

The thing that catches new players out: the disc count barely matters until the end. Being twenty discs ahead in the middle game usually means you have run out of safe moves and are about to hand over a corner. Corners can never be flipped, so they're the only safe squares on the board, and that's why the squares next to them are so risky.

It's a good one for a long call. A game runs to sixty moves and the lead keeps changing, so there's always something to talk about, and the board is easy to read on a phone.

Also known as othello, reversi online, flip disc game, two player othello.

Questions

Is Reversi the same as Othello?

Basically, yes. Same eight-by-eight board, same four discs in the middle to start. Othello is a trademarked version of Reversi with a fixed opening, and that opening is the one everyone plays, including here.

What happens if I have no legal move?

Your turn is skipped and the other player goes again, so you're never stuck. The board tells you when this has happened, so a sudden second turn doesn't look like a bug. When neither of you has a move, the game ends, which is usually but not always a full board.

Can I play Reversi against the computer?

Yes. Hit Play solo and the server takes the other seat. It cares more about corners than about grabbing discs, so it puts up a real fight, but it can be beaten.

Do we need accounts?

No. Opening the link signs you in anonymously in the background. Pick a nickname and play.

The rest of the arcade

• 💞 How Well Do You Know MeAnswer for yourself, guess for them, then find out who was paying attention.
• 🫶 In SyncThis or that, picked at the same time. See how often you land on the same side.
• ❌ Tic-Tac-ToeThree in a row. Thirty seconds a game, and somehow still tense.
• 🔴 Connect 4Drop, stack, and pretend you didn't miss the diagonal.
• 🔤 Word DuelSame secret word, two boards, six guesses. No waiting for turns.
• 🔲 Dots & BoxesDraw a line, close a square, go again. Ruthless in the endgame.
• 🚢 BattleshipFive ships, one hundred squares, and no idea where they are.
• 🟤 CheckersForced captures, jump chains, and the long walk to a crown.
• 🎲 Dice DuelFive dice, three rolls, thirteen boxes. Luck you can play badly.

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