Want to play the Othello game online with a friend, on one screen, or against the computer? Reversi on My MP Games is the classic black-and-white disc game on an 8×8 board, and it plays exactly like Othello: trap your opponent's discs, flip them to your colour, and finish with the majority. Create a room and share the code, pass one device back and forth, or practise solo. It is free, runs in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone, and needs no download, no app and no account.
How to Play Othello (Reversi) Online
- Pick a mode. Choose Create room to play a friend online, Local vs to share one device, or Play vs Computer to play solo.
- Start from the centre. The board opens with four discs in the middle, two black and two white, placed diagonally. Black moves first.
- Place a disc that traps a line. On your turn, put a disc on an empty square so that one or more straight lines of your opponent's discs sit between it and another of your discs.
- Flip the trapped discs. Every trapped disc in every direction turns to your colour automatically.
- Pass when stuck. If you have no legal move, your turn passes to your opponent.
- Count the discs. When neither player can move, the player with more discs on the board wins.
Othello Rules
Legal moves and flipping
A move is only legal if it flanks at least one enemy disc horizontally, vertically or diagonally. One disc can capture in several directions at once, and all of those lines flip together. Discs are never removed; they only change colour, so the lead can swing many times before the end.
Passing
You cannot pass by choice. If a legal move exists you must play it. You only pass when no square on the board would flip anything.
Winning and ties
The game ends when the board is full or when neither player has a legal move. The player with more discs wins. Under standard rules an equal count, such as 32–32, is a draw. Press Rematch to play again.
Game Modes: Online, Local and vs Computer
Online with a friend (room code)
Press Create room and send the room code or the copied invite link. Your friend opens the link or types the code under Join room, both players press Ready, and the host starts the match. Rooms can be public or private, the host can lock the room or auto-approve joiners, spectators can watch, and there is room chat plus optional mic and camera in the lobby.
Challenge online players
Open the live arena, see who is free and send a challenge. No login is needed.
Local vs on one device
This is the 2 player Othello game for the sofa, the classroom or a trip: two people share one phone, tablet or laptop and take turns. The header shows whose turn it is and the score bar keeps a live disc count.
Play vs Computer
Want a quick game without waiting? Play vs Computer gives you an instant opponent that replies to every move on the same board.
Controls for Keyboard and Touch
- Touch: tap a highlighted square to place your disc. The captured lines flip by themselves.
- Mouse: click a highlighted square the same way.
- Keyboard: every square is a button. Press Tab to move between the squares you are allowed to play and Enter to place your disc. Illegal squares are skipped, so you cannot make a wrong move.
- Move hints: legal squares are marked with a dot. You can switch Move hints on or off under Game options before you start.
- Live disc count: the score bar above the board updates both players' disc counts after every move.
Tips and Strategy to Win at Othello
- Take the corners. A disc in a corner can never be flanked, so it stays yours to the end and anchors stable edges.
- Avoid the squares next to empty corners. The diagonal square beside a corner (often called the X-square) and the edge squares beside it (C-squares) tend to hand the corner to your opponent.
- Value mobility over discs. In the middle game, the player with more possible moves is usually winning, even with fewer discs. Choose moves that leave your opponent few options.
- Flip less early. Grabbing lots of discs early gives your opponent more targets and more moves. Quiet moves that flip one or two discs are often stronger.
- Play towards the inside. Discs on the inside of the position are harder to attack than discs that border many empty squares.
- Count at the end. In the last few moves, count discs for each option. Sometimes a smaller flip now wins a whole edge later.
History of Reversi and Othello
Reversi was created in England in 1883, with both Lewis Waterman and John W. Mollett claiming to have invented it. In early versions players placed the first four discs in the center themselves. In 1971 Goro Hasegawa patented modern Othello in Japan — fixing the diagonal four-disc start with black moving first — and Tsukuda Original launched it commercially in April 1973. Suggested by Hasegawa's father, English-literature scholar Shiro Hasegawa, the name comes from Shakespeare's play Othello, echoing its shifting alliances and black and white discs on a green board.
Othello became one of the world's most popular abstract strategy games, and the World Othello Championship has been held since 1977. Today "Othello" is a trademarked name, while "Reversi" is the generic name for the same game. Strong computer programs have beaten world champions since August 1997 (when Logistello defeated reigning world champion Takeshi Murakami 6–0), and in October 2023 researcher Hiroki Takizawa announced that the standard 8×8 game is weakly solved: with perfect play by both sides, it ends in a draw.
Othello Game Online FAQ
Can I play the Othello game online for free?
Yes. Reversi on My MP Games is the same game as Othello and is completely free. It runs in your browser on desktop, tablet or phone with no download, no app and no account.
How do you play Othello online with friends?
Press Create room and send the room code or invite link to your friend. They join, you both press Ready and the host starts the match. You play the same board live from two devices, with room chat and optional mic or camera in the lobby.
Is Reversi the same as Othello?
Yes, they are the same game on an 8×8 board with the same flipping rule. Othello is the trademarked modern version with a fixed diagonal start and black moving first; Reversi is the older, generic name.
How do you play Othello for beginners?
Place a disc so that a straight line of your opponent's discs sits between it and one of your own discs, then flip that line to your colour. Black moves first. If you cannot flip anything you pass. When neither player can move, the most discs wins.
What happens in Othello if you can't move?
Your turn is passed to your opponent, and you play again as soon as you have a legal move. You may not pass while a legal move exists. If neither player can move, the game ends and the discs are counted.
How do you win Othello every time?
No trick wins every game, but strong players follow a few rules: take corners, avoid the squares next to empty corners, keep more move options than your opponent, and flip few discs early. Count discs carefully in the last moves.
Is Reversi solved?
Yes. In October 2023 researcher Hiroki Takizawa announced that standard 8×8 Othello is weakly solved: if both sides play perfectly, the game ends in a draw. Human games are far from perfect, so every match is still open.
Who invented the Othello game?
Reversi was created in England in 1883, with Lewis Waterman and John W. Mollett both claiming it. Goro Hasegawa patented the modern Othello version in Japan in 1971, and Tsukuda Original released it commercially in April 1973.
More Free 2 Player Games
Reversi is one of 67 free games on My MP Games. Try these related strategy and board games next:
