Reversi
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About Reversi
Reversi is a two-colour strategy game on an eight by eight board. Players place a disc each turn, and every move must trap one or more of the opponent's discs in a straight line between the new disc and another of your own. The trapped discs flip to your colour. When no more moves are possible, whoever owns more discs wins.
It is easy to learn and surprisingly deep, so it suits both casual players and those who like to plan several moves ahead. A game takes about five to fifteen minutes. You can play against the computer at an easy or hard level, or share the board with a friend. A good game is about controlling the key squares rather than grabbing discs early.
How to play Reversi
- Choose a mode: CPU Easy, CPU Hard or 2 Players on one device. Black moves first and, against the computer, you are black.
- Tap one of the dotted squares; these are the only legal moves for the current player.
- Your new disc flips every opposing disc that lies in a straight line between it and one of your own.
- If a player has no legal move, the turn is passed automatically.
- When neither player can move, the colour with the most discs wins.
Controls
| Keyboard and mouse | Click a square marked with a small dot to place your disc there. The mode button above the board switches between the computer levels and the two-player game. |
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| Phone and tablet | Tap a dotted square to place your disc and flip the trapped ones. Tap the mode button above the board to change who you play against. |
Scoring
Against the computer, a win scores 100 plus 10 for each disc of winning margin, a draw gives 60, and a loss scores the number of discs you held. In two-player mode the score recorded is ten times the winner's disc count. A big margin on the hard setting is a strong result.
Tips and strategy
- Corners are the most valuable squares. A disc there can never be flipped, so take a corner whenever the dotted moves offer one.
- Avoid the squares diagonal to an empty corner. Playing there often hands your opponent the corner on their next turn.
- Do not chase big flips early. Having few discs in the midgame is fine, because it limits your opponent's options and keeps your own choices open.
- Aim for moves that leave the other side with few dots to choose from. Forcing a pass hands you extra turns in a row.
- On the hard level the computer looks a few moves ahead and values corners, so try the easy level first to learn the patterns.
Reversi FAQ
▸Why can't I place a disc on some squares?
A move is legal only if it flips at least one disc. Squares that would not trap anything are not marked with a dot and will not respond when tapped.
▸Is the second player a real person?
In the 2 Players mode, yes, but you share one screen and take turns, with black first and white second. In the two computer modes, white is controlled by the computer.
▸What if I have no legal move?
The game announces that the turn is passed and play moves to the other side. If neither side can move, the game ends and the discs are counted.
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