Nine Men's Morris

Works fully offline Games

An ancient strategy game played on three nested squares. Form lines of three, called mills, to capture your opponent's pieces until they're down to two or can't move.

White to place9
White on board0
Black to place9
Black on board0
W–L0–0

Place your pieces.

How to Play

  1. Each player has nine pieces. White starts. Players take turns placing a piece on any empty point.
  2. Three of your pieces in a straight line along the board's lines is a mill. Each time you form one, remove one of your opponent's pieces. Pieces inside a mill are protected unless there's no other choice.
  3. Once all pieces are placed, take turns sliding a piece along a line to a neighbouring empty point.
  4. When a player is down to three pieces, they can fly: move a piece to any empty point.
  5. You win when your opponent has only two pieces left or no legal move.

Tips & Strategy

  • During placing, aim for points with four neighbours (the middles of the sides). They give your pieces more room to move later.
  • A "running mill" lets you open and close the same mill every other turn, capturing each time.
  • Don't fill the board too early. Blocked pieces can lose you the game.
  • Watch for two-in-a-row threats from your opponent and block the third point.

Frequently Asked Questions

The standard modern rules: nine pieces each, mills remove one opposing piece (not from a mill unless every piece is in one), flying at three pieces, and a loss at two pieces or with no legal move.

Very old: boards have been found carved into buildings from the Roman era, and the game was hugely popular in medieval Europe.

It searches ahead through possible moves and captures, weighing pieces, mills and mobility. Easy looks one move ahead, Medium a few, and Hard as deep as it can in under a second.

Yes. Choose Two players and take turns on the same device.

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