Nine Men’s Morris
Three in a line. Take a stone.
One of the oldest board games there is: nine stones each, three nested squares, and a race to line up three in a row. Every mill takes a stone, and the last player able to move wins. Here is everything you need to know before you sit down.
- Free practice
- No sign-up
- Play in your browser
Join a Game Room
Nine Men’s MorrisGot a room code?
- Players
- 2
- You need
- A board, 18 stones
- Style
- Abstract strategy
- Goal
- Two stones or stuck
What is Nine Men’s Morris?
Line them up. Knock them out.
Nine Men’s Morris is played on 24 points joined in three nested squares. First you take turns placing your nine stones on empty points. Then you take turns stepping them along the lines.
Line up three of your stones and you have a mill: take one of your opponent’s stones off the board. Bring them down to two, or leave them no move at all, and you win.
The practice table
Try itLearn it on the board, stone by stone.
Play against one bot with the Classic rules from our game kit. The points you can use light up, and the coach shows where to place, when to block, and which stone to take.
- Easy, Normal or Sharp: the Sharp bot looks four turns ahead while placing, and six once the stones are down.
- Turn the coach off when you want to play it straight.
- No account, no host, nothing saved.
A little history
Carved in stone.
Morris boards have been found scratched into stone across Europe, from Roman times to the benches and cloisters of medieval churches. Shakespeare mentions “the nine men’s morris” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Rules vary by table, especially whether a player down to three stones can fly. We play the Classic rules from the Feral Worlds game kit, and show them before every game.
Fun facts
- There are 24 points on three nested squares, and each player has nine stones.
- The game has two stages: first you place your stones, then you step them along the lines.
- Three in a line is a mill, and a mill lets you take one of your opponent’s stones.
- In our rules there is no flying: even with three stones left you step one point at a time.
Why people love it
Simple pieces, deep play.
No luck at all.
Every stone you place is your choice. The better plan wins.
Two games in one.
The placing phase is a race for position. The moving phase is a slow squeeze.
Threats everywhere.
Two in a line is a threat. Two threats at once is usually a stone.
Quick to set up.
Eighteen stones and a board you could draw in the sand.
How to play
Place. Move. Make mills.
Setup
- Players: two. Our practice table is you against one bot.
- Board: three nested squares joined at their midpoints: 24 points.
- Stones: nine each, in two colors, off the board to start.
- First move: decide who starts. At our table, it swaps each game.
Winning
Once all the stones are placed, the player to move loses with fewer than three stones, or with no move at all. Forty moves without a mill is a draw.
- 1
Place your stones
Take turns placing one stone on any empty point until all eighteen are down.
- 2
Make a mill
Three of your stones in a line is a mill. Take one of your opponent’s stones, but not one in a mill unless all of theirs are.
- 3
Then move
Take turns stepping a stone along a line to the next empty point. Mills made by moving count too.
- 4
No flying
Stones never jump or fly, even when a player is down to three.
- 5
Stuck or down to two
The player to move with two stones, or no move, loses.
These are our Classic rules, and they'll be shown in every room before the game starts. Printable rules card →
Lessons
Learn it in a few minutes.
6 quick lessons, one idea each. Make the call, see why it works, and move on. Your progress is saved in this browser.
A mill
Your gold stones sit on a7, d7 and g7. What have you made?
Scoring
Win, lose, or draw.
There are no points: a game ends with a win or a draw.
| How it ends | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| The player to move has only two stones | They lose | |
| The player to move has no move at all | They lose | |
| 40 moves in a row without a mill | Draw |
Our Classic rules: no flying at three stones, and the 40 moves are counted across both players once all the stones are placed. Many tables let a player down to three fly to any empty point.
Strategy
Play it smart. Then play it feral.
Tip 1
Take the crossroads.
d6, b4, f4 and d2 touch four lines each. Stones there make more mills and stay free to move.
Tip 2
Block every two.
When the bot has two in a line with the third point empty, fill it, unless you can close a mill of your own first.
Tip 3
Make two threats at once.
A stone that sets up two mills at once can only be blocked once. The other one takes a stone.
Tip 4
Think about moving early.
Stones packed into corners get shut in later. Leave yourself room to step.
What would you do?
One decision. Every day.
A new Nine Men’s Morris puzzle every day, the same for everyone. Solve it, then send it to the group chat and see who gets it right.
Want more? See today's puzzles for every game →
Your path to game night
Learn it here. Play it with friends.
Finish the lessons or win a practice game and you're ready to sit down at a real Nine Men’s Morris table with your people.
The Feral Worlds community
Play-testing Nine Men’s Morris? Tell us in Discord.
Found a bug, a rule that feels off, or a house rule your family swears by? Our Discord is where we collect play-test feedback, and where game nights are starting to happen.
Glossary
Talk like a regular.
- Point
- One of the 24 places a stone can stand.
- Mill
- Three of your stones in a line. It takes an opposing stone.
- Placing
- The first phase: one stone a turn onto any empty point.
- Moving
- The second phase: one step a turn along a line to an empty point.
- Take
- Remove an opposing stone after a mill. Stones in a mill are safe while others aren’t.
- Blocked
- No stone can step. The player to move loses.
- Flying
- A house rule letting a player with three stones jump anywhere. Not in Classic.
The Feral twist
Still under the hat.
Every game can be played Classic. In Feral mode, the host writes the house rules: flying, the draw count, extra stones. We'll show you what Nine Men's Morris can do when it's ready.
In the Board Games pack
Nine Men’s Morris is on the ballot.
Backers vote on which board games join the Board Games pack. Owning the pack means every one that joins is yours too.
$9.95, one time, to host every game in it. Playing is always free. Packs go on sale when the full game launches.
Nine Men’s Morris is on the ballot
Save me a seat.
Hear when the Kickstarter opens so you can vote Nine Men’s Morris into the Board Games pack, and when you can host it with friends.