Flip the board. Outplay the AI.
Othello (also known as Reversi) is a classic two-player strategy board game played on an 8x8 grid. Players take turns placing discs on the board, trapping their opponent's pieces between their own to flip them. The player with the most discs when the board is full — or when neither player can move — wins. This free online version lets you play against AI at three difficulty levels, from casual to genuinely challenging.
You play as Black and move first. Click or tap any highlighted square to place your disc. Your disc must be placed adjacent to an opponent's piece such that you trap a continuous line of their discs between your new piece and one of your existing pieces. Trapped discs flip to your color. You can flip in all eight directions simultaneously with a single move. If you have no valid moves, your turn passes automatically. The game ends when the board is full or neither player can move.
Control the corners! Corner pieces can never be flipped, making them the most valuable squares on the board. Avoid placing pieces on squares directly adjacent to empty corners, as this can give your opponent access to those corners. During the midgame, focus on mobility — having more available moves gives you more control. Save aggressive disc-flipping for the endgame when the board is mostly full.
Othello uses a fixed starting position with two black and two white discs placed diagonally in the center. The original Reversi allowed players to place the first four pieces anywhere in the center four squares. Othello also has standardized tournament rules and is the version used in competitive play. In casual settings, the names are often used interchangeably since the core flipping mechanic is the same.
Corner squares are the most valuable positions because once a disc is placed in a corner, it can never be outflanked or flipped by the opponent. Corners also anchor stable edges — discs along the edge adjacent to your corner become permanently safe. Controlling even one corner often leads to dominating large sections of the board by the endgame.
If you enjoyed Othello, try these: Chess · Checkers · Tic-Tac-Toe
Last Updated: March 2026 · whatifs.fun — Free interactive games, experiments & simulations