About Nine Men's Morris on Suvi
Nine Men's Morris is one of the oldest board games still played: two players, nine pieces each, and a board of three squares joined at their middles. First you take turns placing your pieces on the points; then you slide them along the lines; and once you are down to three, you may fly a piece to any empty point. Line up three of your pieces along a line to make a mill, and remove one of your opponent's pieces. Reduce them to two, or leave them with no move, and you win. On Suvi you can play Nine Men's Morris online against the computer at Easy, Medium or Hard, or against a friend on one phone, with an undo, a hint and the rules a tap away. Nothing to download.
How to play
- Choose vs Computer (Easy, Medium or Hard) or Two players, and who goes first.
- Placing: take turns to tap an empty point and put down one of your nine pieces.
- Make a mill, three in a row along a line, then tap one of your opponent's pieces to remove it. Pieces in a mill are safe unless all of theirs are.
- Moving: once all pieces are down, tap a piece and then a neighboring empty point. With three pieces left you may fly to any point.
- Win by leaving your opponent with two pieces or with no move.
Controls
On a phone or tablet: Tap a point to place a piece. To move, tap your piece, then where it goes. After a mill, tap the piece to remove (pieces you may take show a cross). Tap your piece again to take a move back before you finish it.
On a desktop: Click points, or move between them with the arrow keys and press Enter. Escape takes back a half-made move. U undoes, H asks for a hint.
Tips
- While placing, the points where four lines meet (the middles of the middle square) give your pieces the most room to move later.
- Don't rush to make a mill early if it leaves your pieces boxed in: in the moving stage, a player who can't move loses.
- Two mills sharing a neighbor let one piece swing between them, making a mill on every move. Build towards that.
- When your opponent is down to three and can fly, they can block any line; keep two threats going at once.
Read the full guide: “Nine Men's Morris strategy: place, slide, fly and win” →
Questions
- What happens when I make a mill?
- You remove one of your opponent's pieces straight away, as part of the same move. You can't take a piece that is in a mill unless every one of their pieces is in a mill.
- What is flying?
- When a player is down to three pieces, they may move a piece to any empty point instead of sliding it along a line. It gives the player who is behind a fighting chance.
- Can a game be drawn?
- Yes: after 50 moves in a row (counting both players) with no mill, or when the same position comes round a third time with the same player to move.
- How good is the computer?
- Easy plays like a beginner and often misses mills. Medium looks a couple of moves ahead. Hard plans mills, blocks yours and hems your pieces in; it takes most people a few games to beat it.
- Can I play against a friend?
- Yes. Two of you can share one phone, passing it between turns while you place, slide and fly your pieces. For a friend on their own phone, choose Online with a friend and send the link. No account is needed: it asks once for your date of birth, and online play is for 13 and over.
- Is it free?
- Yes. Nine Men's Morris is free in every mode: against the computer, two players on one phone, or online with a friend. You don't make an account, and your record against each level is kept on this device.
More Nine Men's Morris
Similar games
- Draughts — Jump, capture, crown a king. Play the computer or a friend on one phone.
- Mancala — Sow the seeds, fill your store. Play the computer or a friend on one phone.
- Four in a Row — Drop discs, line up four. Play the computer or a friend on one phone.
Who made it
Nine Men's Morris is a Suvi Original, written and tested by Brasslight Games. Every puzzle is generated and checked by our own tools; nothing is copied from another site.