Outflank the AI disc by disc. You are black — trap white rows between your discs to flip them, and own the majority when the board fills.
⚫ 2 · ⚪ 2
⚫ Your turn
Wins 0 · Best 0
⚫ You 2⚪ AI 2
How to play
You play black ⚫ and move first; the AI plays white ⚪.
Place a disc so it traps one or more white discs in a straight line (any of the 8 directions) between your new disc and another black disc — every trapped disc flips to black.
Glowing dots mark your legal moves. If you have no move, you pass automatically.
💡 Tap the hint button to toggle move suggestions (gold dot) while you learn.
The game ends when neither side can move — most discs on the board wins.
Difficulty: Easy plays loose, Medium searches deeper, Hard goes 6 deep positionally.
Corners are gold: a corner disc can never be flipped. Avoid giving the squares next to corners away cheaply.
About Reversi
Reversi (Othello) is the strategy classic with the famous tagline: a minute to learn, a lifetime to master. Place discs to trap your opponent's rows between yours and flip them to your color — our free online version pits you against a real AI on the full 8×8 board.
The beginner's trap is grabbing discs early. In Reversi, fewer discs is often better in the opening — mobility and position beat raw count until the endgame. Corners are gold, the squares next to corners are traps, and the player who understands parity usually wins.
Quick tips
Don't take corners' neighboring squares (C-squares) — they gift your opponent the corner.
Keep your disc count low early; mobility matters more than pieces.
Corners are the most valuable squares — fight for them in the midgame.
Frequently asked questions
Is Reversi free to play?
Yes — free Othello-style game in your browser against the AI, no signup.
What's the difference between Reversi and Othello?
Nearly identical rules — Othello is the trademarked name; the strategy is the same.
Who goes first?
Black (you) moves first, placing discs to outflank the AI's white discs.
Enjoying Reversi? Try our flagship Castaway VR™ — a WebXR fishing game that runs the same browser-VR tech behind virtual date worlds — or browse all 29 arcade games.