Play Othello Online

Othello on the NES, released in 1988 by HAL Laboratory, is a straightforward adaptation of the classic board game. It arrived during a period when the console was flooded with arcade ports and simple puzzle games, offering a more thoughtful, strategic alternative. You won't find any flashy graphics or complex story here; it's just the board, the pieces, and your opponent.

You control the placement of black or white discs on an 8x8 grid, with the objective of ending the game with more of your color on the board than your opponent's. The core mechanics involve sandwiching your opponent's pieces between two of your own, which flips all the captured pieces to your color. The game requires careful planning, as a single move can dramatically shift the board's control and undo several turns of progress. It's a quiet, cerebral experience that feels more like a calculated duel than a typical video game.