Play Reversi online – free, with friends or against a bot
Reversi is a duel of two colours on an 8×8 board: place a disc so it outflanks a line of your opponent's, and every disc in that line flips to your side. Nothing stays safe for long — the lead can swing in a single move. Boardbash plays the modern Othello start, against a friend on another device, on the same phone, or against a bot.
How to play Reversi
The board is 8×8 and starts with four discs in the centre, two black and two white, placed crosswise. Black moves first.
On your turn, place one disc so that it closes a straight line of your opponent's discs — across, down or diagonally — between the new disc and one of yours. The dots mark every cell where that is possible.
Every disc in every line you close flips to your colour. A move must flip at least one disc.
If you cannot flip anything, your turn is skipped automatically. If neither player can move, the game ends.
Whoever has more discs on the board at the end wins. Equal counts are a draw.
Frequently asked questions
Why was my turn skipped?
Because no empty cell would have flipped a single one of your opponent's discs. A move has to flip at least one, so when none can, Boardbash passes for you and your opponent moves again. You get your turn back as soon as a flipping move exists.
Why do corners matter so much?
A disc in a corner can never be flipped back: no line runs past it to outflank it. Strong players fight for the corners and avoid the cells right next to them, which tend to hand the corner to the opponent.
Are Reversi and Othello the same game?
Nearly. Boardbash plays the modern Othello start, with the four centre discs already placed crosswise. In classic Reversi the players placed those first four discs themselves; every rule after that is the same.