By Noyon Rahman · Updated August 2026 · Reviewed for accuracy against the live game

About Reversi

Reversi — also widely known as Reversi — is a two-player strategy board game with a legendary reputation: a minute to learn, a lifetime to master. The board starts with four discs in the center, two black and two white. On your turn you place a disc of your color so that it outflanks one or more of your opponent's discs in a straight line — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Every flanked disc flips to your color. The game ends when the board is full or neither player can make a move, and the player holding the most discs wins. Beneath its simple rules lies genuinely deep strategy, which is why Reversi has been played seriously in clubs and tournaments since the 1970s.

How to Play Reversi

You play as the black discs and always move first. Click any highlighted square on the 8×8 board where you can legally place a disc. A legal move must outflank at least one opponent disc in a straight line, with your new disc at one end and an existing disc of your color at the other. All opponent discs caught in that line flip to your color. If you have no legal moves, your turn is passed automatically. When no legal moves remain for either side, the game ends and the player with more discs on the board wins. Try to claim the corners early — a corner disc can never be flipped.

Tips & Strategies

Corners are gold — a disc in a corner can never be captured, so fight for them while keeping your opponent away.
Avoid taking the squares next to the corners early. They give your opponent a path straight into the corner.
Don't just maximize discs — maximize mobility. The player with more legal moves controls the game's tempo.
The edges are safer than the center; anchoring an edge lets you flip along the whole side.
Late in the game, count carefully. A swing of a few discs in the final moves often decides the match.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Reversi and Reversi?

The rules are essentially the same game. Reversi was the original 1880s game, and Reversi is the branded version popularized in the 1970s with the standardized 8×8 board and the fixed four-disc starting position used here.

Can a corner disc ever be flipped?

No. A corner has no squares beyond it in any direction, so no line can ever outflank it. That permanence is exactly why corners are the most valuable real estate on the board.

What happens if I have no legal moves?

Your turn is skipped automatically and your opponent moves again. The game only ends when neither player has a legal move, at which point the player with more discs on the board wins.

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Reversi