Othello

by Mattel

• This classic game of strategy takes a minute to learn, a lifetime to master
• It's simple enough for children yet challenging for adults
• Great fun for the entire family
• For all generations
• Includes 64 reversible discs, one playing board, six playing board feet and instructions

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.8 x 14.8 x 10.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Origin: Imported (China)
• ASIN: B00004TQMQ
• Item model number: B3165
• Manufacturer recommended age: 1 month and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,127 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (87 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

"Othello is a game where not all is Black and White. The lead can change hands from play to play and strategy is everything. Play is simple. Players are represented by either Black or White discs on the board. On each turn, players flank the discs of the opposing player between two of their own. Once captured, the double-sided discs are turned over and become the opposite color. If you have a move, you have to take it whether you want to or not. That’s all, that’s the entire game. But more and more discs fall to the opposing side with each turn. Where will it all end? Starting from just four discs to begin the game, play moves all over the board with as many as 64 discs placed by the final move. Play can end when one player can’t make any more moves OR when the board is full. To add to the fun, if you can make a move but you’re out of discs, your opponent has to give you one of theirs. That’s like arming the enemy! As you become more and more familiar with Othello, certain strategies will begin to emerge. Owning a corner is always an advantage as that protects your discs in the immediate vicinity - your opponent can’t outflank you. But is your opponent backing you towards a corner so they can try to control it themselves? That’s the strategy of Othello. Can you see enough moves ahead to make your opponent put a disc somewhere they don’t want to? A minute to learn…a lifetime to master!"

Product Description

This internationally acclaimed game takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

114 of 118 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite game March 31, 2002

By Joseph Dewey VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

Durability: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

This is my favorite game. The rules are easy enough so that you can learn in 5 minutes. However, the game changes as your skill level changes.

If you are young, this is an excellent mind-expanding game, plus a lot of fun.

If you aren't very good at games, this can be a good social game that is quick to learn. Just make sure you play someone at your skill level.

If you love strategy games, this game is for you. If you haven't played it since you were a kid, you probably haven't appreciated the intense strategic elements in this game. I think this game coined the phrase "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master." It is a lot of fun going through the mastery process.

The quality is not as good as I remember it as a kid, but the board will hold together even though the green felt will wear quickly.

And, as a trivia note, Othello is the brand name of the generic game of Reversi. Reversi is available for free at many online gaming sites.

70 of 73 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Two boys' review: Poor construction, materials take away the fun July 19, 2008

By Jared Castle TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Durability: 1.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 2.0 out of 5 stars   

First, let me say this game is fun if you are playing on a quality game board with quality playing pieces.

Othello is a great game for young children. The rules are easy to learn and this game provides a solid education in basic strategy.

However, I set aside my own nostalgia for this game and looked at the reality of what's inside the box.

Here's the negatives:

This game board is cheap.

The poor construction means poor durability; the faux felt is already peeling away from the board.

The board is designed so tight that the game pieces almost have to be snapped into place when you flip them.

The game pieces are thinner and harder to pick up, especially for older hands (beware grandparents).

Steer clear of this version from Mattel. See if you can find a better quality version of the game. It makes a difference.

Message to Mattel: I'd rather pay the extra $10-$15 for you to provide better-quality materials. Cheap construction like this makes me think twice about buying your other games.

60 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Deviously simple. Simply devious. June 26, 2003

By Joseph Ekaitis

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

You put down your black disk, enclosing your opponent's white disk between another black disk already on the board. You then flip the opponent's disk from white to black. You and your opponent take turns until there are no more available moves and the player whose color dominates the board is the winner.

There. That's all there is to Othello. And a little dust was all there was to Vesuvius.

Beneath its innocent appearance and simple game play, Othello conceals one of the most challenging and enduring strategy games known to humanity. Believed to be older than chess and checkers (going back to when it was called Reversi), Othello is a game of unexpected twists and turns, mind-bending strategy and constant challenge. It's one of a handful of strategy games where the outcome isn't decided in the first few moves. If you're playing black, there might be 2 or 3 white disks on the board as the game nears the end. Then, in a few moves you never anticipated, your opponent is suddenly flipping disk after disk to the opposite color. And all you can do is sit there and watch it happen.

Because of its non-linguistic, purely symbolic game play, it's a game many parents teach to their children and soon, find themselves getting whomped over and over again. A child's ability to think abstractly and look ahead hasn't yet been hindered by the adult obsession with language and the written and spoken word. Like learning to draw, becoming skilled at Othello is a function of the "right" brain: thinking without words, seeing everything, pondering every possibility. It's possible to sit in the middle of a busy airport playing Othello and, over time, becoming completely oblivious to everything else going on around you. Othello can easily be played by opponents who don't speak the same language, which is one of the reasons Othello tournaments attract participants from all over the world.

The product's well-known tagline of "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master" might sound like advertising hype but it's true. Computers have been programmed to play checkers and chess nearly flawlessly, but the same still can't be said of Othello.