Last updated: March 2026
What Is Othello?
Othello is a classic strategy board game played on an 8x8 grid, also known as Reversi. Two players take turns placing black and white discs, flipping opponent pieces by trapping them between your discs. The tagline "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master" perfectly captures its appeal — the rules take seconds to understand, but the strategic depth rivals chess in complexity.
The game creates dramatic momentum shifts where a single move can flip an entire row or diagonal. Controlling corners is the key to victory since corner discs can never be recaptured. Our free online Othello game features three AI difficulty levels, smooth animations, and stats tracking — all running directly in your browser.
Whether you call it Othello or Reversi, the game is the same: outflank, outthink, and outscore your opponent to claim the board.
How to Play Othello Online
Click any highlighted square to place your disc. Legal moves are shown with semi-transparent indicators. Your disc must outflank at least one opponent disc — trapping them between your new disc and an existing one of your color in any of the 8 directions.
All outflanked discs flip to your color with a smooth animation. The score updates in real time, and a proportional bar shows who controls the board. If you have no legal moves, your turn is automatically passed.
Choose Easy, Medium, or Hard AI to match your skill level. Hard mode uses minimax search with alpha-beta pruning, evaluating positions based on corner control, mobility, and stability — a genuine challenge for experienced players.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Reversi and Othello?
Reversi and Othello are essentially the same game. Othello is a trademarked version popularized by Mattel in the 1970s. Both use an 8x8 board with black and white discs, and the goal is to have more discs of your color when the board is full. Black moves first, and you flip opponent discs by outflanking them.
What are the best strategies for Othello?
Control the corners — corner discs can never be flipped. Avoid squares adjacent to empty corners. In the early game, focus on mobility (keeping your options open) rather than maximizing disc count. Having fewer discs early gives you more flexibility for later moves.
How does the AI difficulty work?
Easy mode picks random moves. Medium uses greedy strategy with corner preference. Hard uses minimax with alpha-beta pruning, searching 5-8 moves ahead with evaluation based on corner control, edge stability, mobility, and disc count.
What happens when I can't make a move?
Your turn is automatically passed to your opponent. The game ends when neither player can move or the board is full. The player with more discs wins.
Are my stats saved?
Yes. Games played, win/loss/draw record, win rate per difficulty, best score, and streaks are saved in your browser's local storage. No signup required.
How do I flip discs?
Place your disc so that opponent discs are in a straight line between your new disc and another disc of your color. All directions count: horizontal, vertical, and diagonal. All trapped opponent discs flip to your color.