How long does a game of Reversi take?
Reversi is a satisfyingly quick game - long enough to be strategic, short enough to play several rounds. Here is roughly how long to expect.
Standard game length
After the four opening discs, the 8x8 board has 60 empty squares, so a game is at most 60 moves and often fewer when passes occur. Casual games against the computer wrap up in three to six minutes; a slow, calculated match between careful players can run longer as both sides count the endgame. You can play a quick round anytime on the board.
Faster and slower boards
Board size sets the pace. The 4x4 Mini board is a two-minute puzzle, 6x6 is a brisk few minutes, and the 10x10 Grand board is a longer, more sprawling affair. If you only have a moment, the smaller boards - or the daily challenge - are the way to go.
Related questions
How do you play Reversi?
On your turn, place a disc on an empty square so that it traps one or more of your opponent's discs in a straight line between your new disc and another of your discs. All trapped discs flip to your colour. You must flip at least one disc; if you cannot, your turn is skipped. When the board is full or neither player can move, the most discs wins.
Which Reversi boards are solved?
The small boards are solved: on 4x4 the second player wins with perfect play, and on 6x6 the second player wins 20-16. The standard 8x8 game was weakly solved in 2023 by Hiroki Takizawa and proven to be a draw with perfect play, though that took an enormous computation. Larger boards like 10x10 are still far beyond exhaustive analysis.
What is the daily Reversi challenge?
The daily challenge is a single Reversi game that is the same for every player each day. Because everyone faces the identical setup and computer, you can compare your result and finishing time against other players on that day's leaderboard. A new challenge appears every day at midnight UTC.