Reversi - Rules, History & Strategy Guide

Reversi and its close relative Othello became famous because the flipping mechanic is instantly satisfying while still supporting deep positional play. It is one of the cleanest examples of simple rules producing complex strategy.

The game's lasting lesson is counterintuitive: having more discs in the middle of the game is not always good. What matters more is who controls mobility and stable squares.

Players place discs to bracket enemy discs in straight lines. Bracketed discs flip to your color.

1. Place a disc so it traps one or more opposing discs between the new disc and another of your discs.
2. Flip all bracketed discs along each valid line.
3. If you have no legal move, pass.
4. Continue until neither player can move or the board is full.
5. The winner is the player with more discs at the end.

• Corners are priceless because they cannot be flipped once taken.
• Avoid gifting access to corners through careless edge play.
• Mobility matters more than raw disc count for much of the game.
• A quiet move that limits the opponent's options is often stronger than a flashy flip.

Most differences come from board size or tournament timing rather than rule overhauls. The strategic core stays focused on stability, parity, and move control.