Computer Science at SUNY Brockport

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Othello is a registered trademark of Tsukuda Original, licensed by Anjar Company, copyright 1973, 1990 Pressman Toy Corporation. This version of the Othello game was created by members of the SUNY Brockport Computer Science Department faculty and students for educational purposes, and is meant to be used solely for entertainment and not for commercial profit. The game was written in the Java Programming Language. The source code is available, and any comments or suggestions may be sent to webmast@cs.brockport.edu.

How to Play Othello

The Othello gameboard consists of an 8x8 grid with an initial setup of two black discs and two white discs centered on the grid. I will play with the white discs, and you will play with the black discs.

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to have the majority of your color discs on the board at the end of the game.

Othello Rules

First, some terminology:

A move consists of outflanking your opponent's disc(s), then flipping the outflanked disc(s) to your color.
To outflank means to place a disc on the board so that your opponent's row (or rows) of disc(s) is bordered at each end by a disc of your color.
A row is defined as one or more discs in a continuous straight line.

Now, the official rules:

Black always moves first.
If on your turn you cannot outflank and flip at least one opposing disc, your move is forfeited and your opponent moves again. However, if a move is available to you, you may not forfeit your turn.
A disc may outflank any number of discs in one or more rows in any number of directions at the same time - horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
You may not skip over your own color disc to outflank an opposing disc.
Disc(s) may only be outflanked as a direct result of a move and must fall in the direct line of the disc placed down.
All discs outflanked in any one move must be flipped, even if it is to the player's advantage not to flip them all.
When it is no longer possible for either player to move, the game is over. Discs are counted and the player with the majority of his or her color discs on the board is the winner.

The play's the thing!