reversi

Reversi, commonly marketed as Othello, is a two-player strategy board game played on an 8x8 grid. It was invented in 1971 by Goro Hasegawa in Japan as Reversi; Parker Brothers released it in the United States later that year under the name Othello, and the name became widely used for the game.

The board starts with four discs placed in the center in a diagonal pattern: two black and two white. Players take turns placing a disc of their color on an empty square. A move must trap one or more of the opponent’s discs between the new disc and another disc of the current player’s color along a straight line in any direction (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). All trapped discs are flipped to the current player’s color on that move. If a player has no legal move, they pass. If both players have no legal moves, the game ends.

Endgame and scoring: When the board is full or neither player has a legal move, discs are counted. The winner is the player with more discs of their color; ties are possible.

Overview: Reversi emphasizes strategic disc flipping and territory control, with emphasis on corners and mobility. The game supports varying levels of play, from casual play to formal competition, and has been implemented in numerous digital versions as well as physical sets.