Othello Five

Flip every disk you can, trap your rival in the corners, and watch the board change color before the final count decides it.

I always forget how brutal Othello gets once somebody grabs a corner. Othello Five keeps the core rule intact: place a disk on the grid, and every enemy piece trapped in a straight line between your new piece and another of yours flips to your color. Thirty seconds to learn, then the board turns into a mess of shifting loyalties. You think you're winning, then one bad move hands half the board to the other side. Corners are everything. Plant a disk in one of those four spots and it can't be flipped, letting you build lines off it that your opponent can't touch. The moment I locked down two adjacent corners, the entire game tilted — every move they made just gave me more real estate. Edge pieces come next, because they're harder to flip than the middle. If a square doesn't highlight when you hover, it's not a legal move; find one that traps more disks. Mouse or tap handles everything: click where you want to drop a disk. Legal moves usually glow, so no excuses for bad placement. You can face a computer opponent or pass the same device to a friend for local two-player. I'd suggest starting with edges and never surrendering a corner unless you're truly desperate. Othello Five is board game comfort food — zero flash, but every round ends with that tense count-up where you realize one careless flip lost the whole thing.

Mouse click or tap to play

Grab corners the second they become available — once taken, they can't be flipped back. Your opponent can only flip disks in straight lines, so attack diagonals to limit their options. Edge spaces are safer than the middle; build from the outside in. If a square isn't highlighted, it's not a legal move for you right now. At the end, only the total disk count matters — not how many big flips you made. Avoid filling the middle early, it usually opens up corner opportunities for your rival.

Q: Is Othello Five free to play? A: Yes, it runs right in your browser for free with no download or sign-up needed. Q: Can I play Othello Five on my phone? A: Yes, the tap controls work on mobile browsers and tablets. Q: Do I need a second player? A: Not always — you can face a computer opponent or play local two-player on the same device. Q: How do I place a disk? A: Click or tap any highlighted square to place your disk and flip trapped enemy pieces. Q: What are corners for? A: Corners can't be flipped once taken, so they are the strongest board positions. Q: What happens if no moves are left? A: The game skips your turn or ends, and the player with more disks of their color wins.