othello.GOOD MOVES START HERELet's play
FREE TO PLAY. EASY TO BEGIN.

Othello game.
Small board.
Big possibilities.

A classic game of black, white and beautiful little comebacks. Play Othello online against the computer, or share a screen with a friend.

Make your move New here? Learn the rules
No downloadsNo sign-upJust one more game
A few simple rules.
A whole lot to discover.
YOUR NEXT GOOD MOVE8 × 8. Endless possibilities.
You BLACK2
Computer WHITE2
Black moves first. Pick a dotted square.
You play black. Dots show legal moves.
A FRESH START

Start a new game?

Your current board will be replaced. Your level and hint preferences will stay.

Your game saves on this browser.

PLAY.FLIP.REPEAT.

Your next favorite five-minute thinking break.Take your time. There is no clock here.

MEET THE GAME

Two colors.
Plenty to think about.

Simple enough to start.
Interesting enough to stay.

Othello is a two-player strategy game on an 8 × 8 board. Place a disc to sandwich your opponent's discs in a straight line, then flip them to your color. When neither player can move, the color with more discs wins.

Often called Reversi online, it begins with just four discs in the center. Every move changes the position, and a confident early lead can turn into a very different finish. Our independent browser game handles the flipping and passing so you can focus on your next choice.

Othello or Reversi? A note on the names
YOUR FIRST THREE THINGS

A good game starts simply.

The complete rules

Black goes first.

Four discs begin in the center. You play black against the computer, or pick a color when sharing the screen.

Sandwich. Then flip.

Trap a continuous line of opposing discs between two of yours. Every line captured by your new disc flips.

Make the final count count.

Finish with more discs of your color. If neither player can move, the game ends, even with empty squares left.

MAKE IT YOUR KIND OF GAME

A quiet challenge.
Or a friendly rivalry.

Choose Easy, Medium or Hard for a computer opponent that runs right in your browser. Keep the legal-move dots on while you learn, then switch them off when you want to read the board yourself. Undo lets you try a different idea.

Have company? Switch to two players and take turns on the same device. Both modes are free, with no account or installation. Same-screen play means sitting together; this version does not offer remote matchmaking.

Meet the computer Play together
A LITTLE HELP AT THE BOARD

Good moves are learned.

No grandmaster vocabulary required.

01

Learn the little rules.

Set up, sandwich a line, flip the discs. Your first game starts here.

Learn to play 02

Find your next good move.

Corners, mobility and the art of not taking every disc you can.

Explore strategy 03

Othello vs Go

Compare Othello and Go: board size, where pieces go, captures, passing and scoring. Learn which black-and-white board game you are looking for.

Take a look
ONE IDEA TO TRY TODAY

The corner is
a lovely place to be.

A corner disc cannot be flipped. That makes the four corners worth watching, and the squares beside an empty corner worth approaching carefully.

Early disc count is only part of the story. Think about which moves you leave your opponent, then look for a placement that keeps your own options open.

Find your next idea
Othello's four corners highlighted in lemon yellow, with their neighboring squares in peach.
Keep an eye on the corners. See what changes.
BEFORE YOUR NEXT MOVE

Curious?
Good.

A few answers to get you comfortably to the board.

All the questions
Can I play Othello online for free?
Yes. This browser game is free and needs no account or download. Play against the computer or choose two players to share one device. It does not provide internet matchmaking.
How do you play Othello?
Black moves first. Place a disc on an empty square so it traps at least one opposing disc between your new disc and another of your discs in a straight line. Flip every trapped line. When neither player can move, the color with more discs wins. Read the complete rules.
Is Othello the same as Reversi?
The names are often used for the same modern game. Othello uses a fixed four-disc opening and standardized rules; historical versions of Reversi have differed. This site uses the standard Othello opening. See our Othello and Reversi comparison.
Can two people play on the same screen?
Yes. Select 2 players, then take turns on one phone, tablet or computer. Black starts. The game checks legal moves, flips discs and passes automatically. This is local play on one device, without an online room or invitation link.
What happens if I have no legal move?
You must pass, and your opponent moves again. This game handles that automatically and tells you whose turn it is. The game ends when neither side can move, even if empty squares remain.
Does having more discs mean I am winning?
Only the final disc count decides the result. Early in a game, mobility and secure corners can be more useful than collecting many discs. Our strategy guide explains how to look beyond the current score.
A FRESH BOARD IS WAITING

Go on. Make a little time to play.

Back to the board