Board games
Nine Men's Morris
- players
- 2
- minutes
- 20
- years
- 6+
In the box
1 board of three nested squares · 18 pieces, 9 per player
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- Pattern BuildingPoint-to-Point Movement
Where to buy it
Near you
In a shop
Within 50 km.
The basics
Reduce your opponent to two pieces, or block them completely. Players first take turns placing their nine pieces, then slide them to a free adjacent point; three in a row form a mill and let you remove an opposing piece, and down to three pieces, you may fly anywhere. You lose when you are reduced to two pieces, or have no legal move left.
The rules, step by step
Setup
24 points on the board, 9 pieces per player
- A board of three nested squares joined by four lines, giving 24 points.
- Nine pieces per player.
How to play
Place, then move, Mill: remove 1 piece, Fly freely at 3 pieces
- Placing phase: players take turns placing their nine pieces.
- Moving phase: slide a piece to a free adjacent point.
- Forming a mill, that is three pieces in a row, lets you remove an opposing piece.
- Down to three pieces, you may fly to any point on the board.
Scoring
No points, Games won
- No points: count the games won.
End of the game
Lose at 2 pieces, Lose if blocked
- You lose when you are reduced to two pieces, or when you have no legal move left.
House rules and pitfalls
You normally cannot remove a piece that is part of an opposing mill…
- You normally cannot remove a piece that is part of an opposing mill, unless all of the opponent's pieces are in mills.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
How does a game run?
In two phases: first players take turns placing their nine pieces on the points, then they move them along the lines to a free adjacent point.
What is a "mill"?
Three pieces in a row on the same line of the board. Forming a mill lets you remove an opposing piece of your choice.
Can you remove any opposing piece?
No: you cannot remove a piece already in an opposing mill, unless all of their pieces are in mills. This rule protects the rows already formed.
What happens when you only have three pieces left?
You may then "fly": move a piece to any free point on the board, not just an adjacent one. A last chance to come back.
How do you lose?
When you are down to two pieces (no mill is possible any more), or when you cannot move any piece. The opponent then wins.