YaliKit board game

Nine Men's Morris

White to place

Placing pieces

Point 1, emptyPoint 2, emptyPoint 3, emptyPoint 4, emptyPoint 5, emptyPoint 6, emptyPoint 7, emptyPoint 8, emptyPoint 9, emptyPoint 10, emptyPoint 11, emptyPoint 12, emptyPoint 13, emptyPoint 14, emptyPoint 15, emptyPoint 16, emptyPoint 17, emptyPoint 18, emptyPoint 19, emptyPoint 20, emptyPoint 21, emptyPoint 22, emptyPoint 23, emptyPoint 24, empty

Tap an empty point to place a piece. Line up three to form a mill.

📖 How to play

How to play Nine Men's Morris

Place your nine pieces, line up three in a row to form a mill and capture an enemy piece, then move your pieces to build more mills until your opponent is down to two.

  1. 1

    You are one colour

    You play one colour, the other side plays the other. Each player has nine pieces. Take turns, one action each.

  2. 2

    Place your pieces first

    At the start, tap any empty point to place a piece. Keep taking turns until both players have placed all nine.

  3. 3

    Make a mill of three

    Line up three of your pieces along one marked line to make a mill. Squares and the lines joining them all count.

  4. 4

    Capture a piece

    Every time you make a mill, take one of the other player's pieces off the board. You cannot take a piece that is inside a mill unless all of theirs are.

  5. 5

    Move, then fly

    Once all pieces are down, slide a piece to a joined empty point. When you have only three left you can jump a piece to any empty point.

How you win

Win by capturing pieces until your opponent has only two left, or by trapping them so they have no legal move.

Aim for two mills that share a piece so you can open and close one every turn and keep capturing.

Play the computer for a solo game, sit next to a friend for 2 players, or match a friend online.

Game guide

How to play Nine Mens Morris online

Nine Men's Morris, also called Mills or Merels, is an ancient two-player strategy board game played on 24 points laid out as three concentric squares joined at the midpoints, where each player has nine pieces and tries to form mills to capture the opponent. The game runs through three phases. In the placing phase you take turns dropping your nine pieces on any empty point. In the moving phase, once all pieces are placed, you slide a piece along a line to a neighboring empty point. In the flying phase, once you are down to three pieces, you may move a piece to any empty point on the board. Whenever you line up three of your own pieces along a marked line you form a mill, which lets you remove one of the opponent's pieces, though you cannot take a piece that sits inside a mill unless every opponent piece is in a mill. You win by reducing your opponent to two pieces or by leaving them with no legal move. On YaliKit you play Nine Men's Morris free in your browser against a computer opponent, with a friend in 2 player mode on one device, or against a friend online in a private room where you share the same board, take strict turns, and a mill keeps your turn until you remove a piece. No download or signup is needed.

Play again
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Quick facts

Price
Free
Platform
Browser
Category
Strategy & Board
Install
No download

Visual play guide

Start the round

Look at the Nine Mens Morris game above. If you see a start, play, or new game button, press it first.

WASD

Move or tap

Use the arrow keys, WASD, touch buttons, swipes, or a controller. Pick the controls that feel easiest.

Try again

Watch what changed after your move. If the round ends, start again and try one better idea.

How to use the game

  1. 1

    Look at the game

    The game is at the top of this page. You do not need to download anything. Just wait for it to load.

  2. 2

    Find the goal

    Nine Mens Morris is about trying to play a strategic board game online. The score, board, timer, or message will show what is happening.

  3. 3

    Choose your controls

    On a computer, use the keyboard. On a phone or tablet, tap or swipe. If a controller is connected, try the d-pad or buttons.

  4. 4

    Play one round

    Make a move, see what happens, and keep going. You do not have to be perfect on the first try.

  5. 5

    Restart and improve

    When the game ends, press new game or restart. Try to beat your last score, time, or mistake count.

Try these challenges

Pick one small goal, play a round, then come back and try the next one.

First try

Play one full round of Nine Mens Morris. Do not worry about winning; just learn what each button or move does.

Beat yourself

Play again and try to beat your last score, time, streak, or mistake count by a little bit.

Focus mode

Turn on fullscreen and play one quiet round. Bigger play space makes it easier to stay with the game.

Teach someone

Explain the goal of Nine Mens Morris in one sentence. If you can teach it simply, you understand the game better.

Beginner tips

Read before acting

look for threats and opportunities together; a good move usually improves both attack and defense

Use fullscreen for focus

Fullscreen mode gives Nine Mens Morris more room on small screens and makes the game feel closer to a native app.

Practice one pattern

Choose one skill to improve each round: timing, accuracy, board planning, or mistake recovery. Focused practice beats random replaying.

Fun facts

Replay makes you sharper

Playing Nine Mens Morris again helps you remember what worked. That is why quick restart buttons are so useful.

Fast rounds help learning

Short Nine Mens Morris rounds are useful because you can test one idea, see the result, and try again right away.

Your brain spots patterns

Games like Nine Mens Morris help your brain notice patterns. After a few rounds, moves that felt confusing can start to feel natural.

Mistakes are clues

A mistake in Nine Mens Morris is not just a loss. It is a clue that shows what to watch for next time.

FAQ

What is Nine Mens Morris?+

Nine Mens Morris is a free online strategy & board game you can play directly in your browser on YaliKit. It is designed for quick sessions, visible controls, and instant replay without downloads or account setup.

How do I play Nine Mens Morris online?+

Start the game at the top of the page, read the current objective, then use keyboard, touch, or supported controller actions to play. The guide on this page explains the basic flow before you jump into a full round.

Does Nine Mens Morris work on mobile?+

Yes. Nine Mens Morris is built as a responsive browser game, so it works on modern phones and tablets. Use touch controls, rotate the screen if the game benefits from more width, and use fullscreen for a cleaner play area.

Can I play Nine Mens Morris without downloading anything?+

Yes. Nine Mens Morris runs in the browser with no app download required. Open the page, let the game load, and start playing immediately on desktop, mobile, or tablet.

What is the best beginner tip for Nine Mens Morris?+

The best beginner tip is to make one careful decision at a time. Watch the board or playfield, understand what changed after each action, and restart with a specific improvement instead of guessing faster.

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