--- title: "Reversi Strategy: Corners, Mobility, Endgame | Aback Games" description: "Win more Reversi games: take the corners, avoid the squares next to them, keep your moves open, flip fewer discs early and plan the last moves." url: https://abackgames.com/guides/reversi-strategy --- Strategy # Reversi strategy: corners, mobility and the endgame Why more discs early is often worse, which squares to avoid, how to keep the opponent short of moves, and how to beat each computer level. Updated 1 November 2026 3 min readBy the Aback Games team Reversi feels like a game about flipping as many discs as you can. It is not. The disc count swings wildly until the last few moves, and the player who grabs the most early often runs out of good moves later. These ideas win games in [Reversi](https://abackgames.com/games/reversi). ## Corners are worth the most A disc in a corner can never be flipped: there is no square beyond it to outflank it from. Discs built out from a corner along the edges become safe too. Taking a corner is usually the strongest move on the board, and giving one away the most costly mistake. ## Stay off the squares next to an empty corner The square diagonally next to a corner, and the two beside it on the edges, are dangerous while the corner is empty. A disc there can give your opponent a line into the corner. Play them only when the corner is already taken, or when the alternative is worse. ## Mobility: keep your options, take theirs away What matters in the middle game is how many legal moves each side has. Running short of moves forces you into bad squares, or to pass. - Prefer quiet moves that flip few discs, especially discs in the middle of the board. - Avoid frontier discs: discs that sit next to empty squares give your opponent places to play. - A move that leaves your opponent only poor squares, like those next to corners, is often better than one that flips many discs. ## Edges: useful, but not automatically good Edge discs are harder to flip than middle ones, but a single edge disc can be outflanked along the edge. Build edges in solid runs that reach a corner, and be careful about leaving one empty square between your discs on an edge, which gives the opponent a way in. ## The endgame: count and plan With a dozen or so empty squares left, the game becomes a calculation. Look at each empty region of the board: having the last move in a region usually gains discs, so avoid moves that hand your opponent the final move in an area. Remember passes: if your opponent has no legal move, you play again, which can let you take several squares in a row. ## Beating each computer level **Easy** looks one move ahead and plays a random legal move about a third of the time. Take the corners it gives away and avoid giving it any. **Medium** looks three moves ahead and values the corners, and it plays perfectly once 6 or fewer squares are left. Win the middle game on mobility before then. **Hard** looks 5 moves ahead and plays perfectly from 8 empty squares. You need a clear lead in corners and safe edges before the last 8 squares, because it will not miss anything after that. ## Frequently asked questions Why did my disc count crash at the end? Discs flip back and forth until the last moves. Grabbing many discs early usually leaves you with fewer moves and weaker squares later. Corners and safe edges matter more than the count in the middle game. What happens if I have no legal move? You pass and the other side plays again. When neither side can move, the game ends and the discs are counted. Who moves first? On Aback Games you play the dark discs. Whoever opened one game, the other side opens the next. ## On this page 1. [Corners are worth the most](#corners-are-worth-the-most) 2. [Stay off the squares next to an empty corner](#stay-off-the-squares-next-to-an-empty-corner) 3. [Mobility: keep your options, take theirs away](#mobility-keep-your-options-take-theirs-away) 4. [Edges: useful, but not automatically good](#edges-useful-but-not-automatically-good) 5. [The endgame: count and plan](#the-endgame-count-and-plan) 6. [Beating each computer level](#beating-each-computer-level) Try it as you read [Play Reversi free](https://abackgames.com/games/reversi) ## Games in this guide Strategy ### [Reversi](https://abackgames.com/games/reversi) Outflank the computer on an 8 × 8 board: every disc you trap in a line flips to your side. Most discs at the end wins. - Keyboard - Touch Strategy ### [Chess](https://abackgames.com/games/chess) Play a full game of chess against the computer, as White or Black, at three levels. Every rule is in: castling, en passant, promotion and every draw. - Keyboard - Touch Strategy ### [Four in a Row](https://abackgames.com/games/four-in-a-row) Drop discs into the grid and line up four of yours before the computer does: across, down or diagonally. - Keyboard - Touch ## More guides Strategy ### [Chess for beginners: how to beat the computer](https://abackgames.com/guides/chess-for-beginners) The ideas that win most beginner games: piece values, opening principles, checking for threats, the common tactics, and how to beat each AI level. 4 min read Strategy ### [Minesweeper patterns: how to read the numbers](https://abackgames.com/guides/minesweeper-patterns) The handful of number patterns that solve most Minesweeper boards, why each one works, and what to do when logic runs out. 5 min read Strategy ### [Sudoku techniques, from singles to the X-wing](https://abackgames.com/guides/sudoku-techniques) Every technique you need to solve Sudoku without guessing, in the order the puzzles ask for them, with a plain explanation of why each one works. 4 min read [All guides ](https://abackgames.com/guides)