Othello

🎮 How to Play

Othello gameplay begins with four discs placed in the center of the board. Players take turns placing their colored discs on the grid. The core rule is that you must place your disc so that it traps at least one of your opponent's discs between your new disc and another one of your discs already on the board. All of your opponent's discs in that straight line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) are then flipped to become your color. If you cannot make a valid move, your turn is skipped. The game ends when neither player can move, and the player with the most discs wins!

🕹️ Controls

The controls for this HTML5 browser game are simple and intuitive for all players.
• Primary Control: Use your mouse or finger (on touchscreen devices) to click or tap on a highlighted empty square to place your disc.
• Desktop: Navigate and select moves using your mouse. Click to confirm your disc placement.
• Mobile/Touchscreen: Tap directly on the game board to select your desired square and place your disc.
• Game Menu: Use the mouse or touch to interact with on-screen menus for starting a new game, changing settings, or undoing a move.

🎯 Objectives

Your primary objective in Othello is to finish the game with more discs of your color on the board than your opponent. You achieve this by strategically outmaneuvering them, flipping their discs to your side with each valid move. Short-term, focus on capturing rows of pieces. Long-term, success hinges on controlling key strategic positions, especially the stable corner squares which cannot be flipped back. The winner is determined by a final count of all discs once no more legal moves remain for either player.

💡 Pro Tips

Mastering Othello requires foresight and tactical adaptation. Use these strategies to dominate the board.

• 🎪 Corner Control: Prioritize securing the four corner squares. Discs placed in corners are permanent and cannot be flipped, providing a stable advantage.

• ⚡ Minimize Mobility: Try to limit your opponent's valid moves. Sometimes, it's smarter to force them into a move that benefits you later rather than taking the obvious, large capture immediately.

• 💰 Avoid the Edges: Be cautious about placing discs adjacent to the corners or on the edges too early, as this can often give your opponent an easy path to capture that valuable corner spot.

• 🏆 Watch the Frontier: Focus on reducing the number of your discs in play during the mid-game. Having fewer discs actually limits your opponent's capturing options and can lead to a powerful endgame surge.