Play Nine Men’s Morris free online — the ancient mill-forming strategy game. Place and slide your nine pieces, close mills to remove your opponent’s, and fly when reduced to three. Three AI levels or local pass-and-play. No download or sign-up.
Overview
Nine Men’s Morris is an ancient board game played across the world for over two thousand years. Each player has nine pieces, and the aim is to reduce your opponent to two pieces or leave them with no legal move. The heart of the game is the ‘mill’ — three of your pieces in a row — which lets you capture an enemy piece each time you close one. It unfolds in distinct phases, from placing pieces to sliding them and finally ‘flying’. Play three AI levels or a friend in pass-and-play.
Placing, moving and mills
First, players take turns placing their nine pieces on any empty point. Once all eighteen pieces are down, you slide one piece per turn along a line to an adjacent empty point. Lining up three of your pieces on a marked line forms a mill, and each time you close one you remove an enemy piece — you must take a piece that is not itself in a mill, unless every enemy piece is.
Flying and winning
When a player is reduced to exactly three pieces, they may ‘fly’ — moving a piece to any empty point on the board instead of only to an adjacent one. This gives the trailing player a fighting chance. You win by reducing your opponent to two pieces, or by leaving them with no legal move on their turn.
Strategy and tips
Aim to build a ‘running mill’ — two mills that share pieces so you can open and close one repeatedly, capturing almost every turn. In the placing phase, take the central crossing points that belong to the most lines. Block your opponent’s two-in-a-rows before they complete a mill, and try not to be the one forced to break a mill you cannot immediately reform.
Controls
During placing, tap an empty point to drop a piece; during moving, tap one of your pieces then a highlighted point to slide it. When you close a mill, tap the enemy piece you wish to remove. Use the menu to choose difficulty or Local Pass & Play, and to restart.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nine Men’s Morris free to play? Yes — free in your browser, no sign-up. What is a mill? Three of your pieces in a row on a marked line; closing one removes an enemy piece. What does ‘flying’ mean? A player down to three pieces may move to any empty point, not just an adjacent one. How do I win? Reduce your opponent to two pieces or leave them with no legal move.
