How to Play Reversi: Rules for Beginners
Reversi is played on an 8×8 board that starts with four discs in the middle, two of each colour. Players take turns placing one disc so that it traps a straight line of the opponent's discs between the new disc and one of their own; every trapped disc flips to their colour. If you can't trap anything, you pass. When neither player can move, the one with more discs wins.
The board and the start
You need an 8×8 board (64 squares) and 64 discs that are a different colour on each side. Columns are lettered a to h and rows numbered 1 to 8, so every square has a name like d3.
The game starts with four discs on the four centre squares, set out diagonally: each player's two discs touch only at a corner. The darker colour moves first. In GameLake's Reversi you play the green lily pads and go first, and Hop the frog plays the pink lotus flowers.
How a move works
On your turn, place one disc on an empty square. The move is only legal if it traps at least one of your opponent's discs:
- Look along the eight directions from the new disc: left, right, up, down and the four diagonals.
- A line is trapped when one or more of the opponent's discs sit in an unbroken row between your new disc and another of your discs.
- No gaps: an empty square in the middle breaks the line.
Every trapped disc flips to your colour, in every direction at once. You can't choose to flip only some of them.
Flips don't chain. Only lines that run from the disc you just placed count, so a disc that flips doesn't go on to trap anything else, even if it now brackets a line of its own.
When you can't move: passing
If no empty square lets you trap a disc, you pass and your opponent moves again. Passing isn't a choice: if you have a legal move, you must play one. On GameLake the dots show your legal moves, and if there aren't any the game passes for you.
That position is a good lesson in itself: having more discs doesn't mean you're winning. It's having moves that counts. Our Reversi strategy guide is built on that idea.
How the game ends and who wins
The game is over when neither player can move. Usually that's because all 64 squares are full, but it can happen earlier, for example when one player has no discs left at all (a wipeout).
Count the discs of each colour. The player with more wins, and 32–32 is a draw. In tournament play, any empty squares left at the end are added to the winner's count. GameLake simply counts the discs on the board.
Rules in a nutshell
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Start | Four discs in the centre, placed diagonally. The darker colour (green on GameLake) moves first. |
| Legal move | Must trap at least one straight line of the opponent's discs. |
| Flipping | Every trapped disc in every direction flips. No choosing, no chain reactions. |
| Passing | Only when you have no legal move. Then your opponent plays again. |
| End | When neither player can move, usually with a full board. |
| Winner | Most discs. Equal counts are a draw. |
Reversi, then and now
Reversi dates back to Victorian England, where two men, Lewis Waterman and John W. Mollett, each claimed to have invented it in the 1880s. In early versions the board started empty and players placed their first discs on the four centre squares themselves. The fixed diagonal start used today comes from the version launched in Japan in the 1970s under the brand name Othello. The rules on GameLake are the standard modern ones.
Playing Reversi on GameLake
- Tap a dot to place your lily pad. The dots always show every legal move.
- Easy, Medium or Hard. Easy makes plenty of mistakes and often gives away corners, Medium looks two moves ahead, and Hard looks five moves ahead and plays the last ten squares perfectly.
- 2 players. Pass the device between turns to play a friend.
- Teach me. Press it for a hint: Hop marks a good move and explains why in plain words.
Three tips for your first games
- Take the corners. A disc in a corner can never be flipped back.
- Stay off the squares next to an empty corner, especially the diagonal one. They often hand the corner to your opponent.
- Don't flip as many as you can. Big flips early on usually give your opponent more moves. Keep their choices few instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Reversi?
Start with four discs in the centre. Take turns placing a disc that traps a straight line of your opponent's discs against one of yours; the trapped discs flip to your colour. When neither player can move, the one with more discs wins.
Who goes first in Reversi?
The darker colour, traditionally black. On GameLake the green lily pads move first.
Can you pass in Reversi?
Only when you have no legal move. If any move traps a disc, you must play.
Do you have to flip every disc you trap?
Yes. Every trapped disc in every direction flips. You can't pick and choose.
What happens if neither player can move?
The game ends, even if there are empty squares left. Count the discs; the player with more wins.
Did Reversi always start with four discs in the middle?
No. In the earliest versions the board started empty and players placed their first discs on the four centre squares themselves. The fixed diagonal start came later and is now standard, including on GameLake.