Form rows of three on a 24-point board to take enemy pieces, then slide and fly until your rival is down to two.
Nine Men’s Morris is a two-player strategy game whose history stretches back more than a millennium. Its board is made of three squares, one inside the next, linked by lines that create 24 points. Each side gets nine pieces. Get three of yours in a straight line and you remove one of your opponent’s pieces.
You can face the computer at three levels or play a friend on the same screen. Either way, the game unfolds in three distinct stages.
The three stages
First comes placing. Black goes first, and the two sides take turns setting a piece on any open point until all eighteen are down. A status line keeps count of how many you still have in hand.
Second comes moving. On your turn, you slide one piece along a line to the next free point. Lines never run diagonally, so a corner point only connects to the two points beside it.
Third comes flying. Once a side has only three pieces left, those pieces can jump to any empty point on the board. The other side keeps sliding normally until it also drops to three.
Mills and captures
A mill is three of your pieces in a row along one line. It can be made by placing or by moving. Each time you form one, you take an enemy piece off the board. Pieces you are allowed to take are highlighted for you. Pieces that sit in an enemy mill are protected, unless every one of their pieces is in a mill.
Opening a mill by moving one piece away, then closing it again, counts as a brand new mill. You win when your rival is down to two pieces, or when they have no legal move left.
Strategy notes
- Favor the middle points of each side during placing. They have more neighbors than corners, so they are harder to box in.
- Look for a double threat, where one piece could finish two mills at once. Your opponent can only block one.
- Set up a swinging mill, where one piece can shuttle between two mills and capture every turn.
- Don’t chase an early mill at any cost. Taking away your rival’s space while placing is often worth more.
- Once an opponent can fly, a pair of their pieces sharing a line is a threat, since the third can arrive from anywhere.
Good to know
On Easy the computer moves at random, while Hard runs a much deeper search before it commits. Undo takes back a move, and Resign lets you concede and start over.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place a piece | Tab to the board, arrow keys to pick a point, Enter to place | Click an empty point | Tap an empty point |
| Move a piece | Enter on your piece, then Enter on the target point | Click your piece, then an empty point it can reach | Tap your piece, then the target point |
| Remove an opponent piece after a mill | — | Click one of the highlighted enemy pieces | Tap one of the highlighted enemy pieces |
| Show the move list | — | Click "Moves" | Tap "Moves" |
| Choose color and opponent, undo or resign | — | Pick black or white and a level, then click "New game"; use "Undo" and "Resign" during play | Pick black or white and a level, then tap "New game"; use "Undo" and "Resign" during play |
Nine Men's Morris FAQ
Can I play Nine Men's Morris with a friend?
Yes. Besides playing the computer at Easy, Medium or Hard, you can share one device with another person and take turns. Pick black or white before you press New game. Black always places the first piece.
Does it work on a phone or Chromebook?
Yes. The board is laid out for a phone held upright, and you tap a point to place or move a piece. On a Chromebook you can click with the touchpad, or Tab to the board, move between points with the arrow keys and press Enter.
Will my game be saved?
Yes. The game in progress is kept in your browser, so a reload does not wipe it. You can also open the move list with the Moves button to review what has happened so far.
How long does a game take?
A game ends when one side has only two pieces left or has no legal move. There is no clock, so a match lasts as long as both players keep finding moves, so you can think through each turn.
