About Nine Men’s Morris
Nine Men’s Morris, the mill game, was scratched into church benches and Roman roofs long before it reached a screen. Each player has nine pieces: place them, then slide them along the lines, and whenever three of yours line up you take one of the other side’s. Down to three pieces you may fly anywhere. The Hard robot looks several moves ahead; Easy and Normal give you room to learn the openings. Play a friend on one phone, or online with a code.
How to play Nine Men’s Morris
- Each player places nine pieces in turn on the points of the board. Three in a line along a board line is a mill, which takes one enemy piece (not one in a mill while others are free).
- Once all pieces are placed, slide one piece along a line to the next empty point each turn; new mills keep taking pieces.
- Down to three pieces, you may fly to any empty point. Two pieces, or no legal move, loses. A hundred moves without a mill is a draw.
- Tap a point to place, tap your piece and then its destination to move, tap an enemy piece to take it. Results are saved on this device.
Tips & strategy
- During placing, spread out and aim for junctions where several lines cross: they give more ways to make a mill later.
- A mill you can open and close again on alternate moves (a running mill) takes a piece every two turns. Stop the other player building one at all costs.
- Take pieces that could become mills, not the ones that are stuck. Mobility wins the middle game.
- With three pieces you fly, which makes you dangerous even when far behind: keep two in line and threaten a mill every move.
Nine Men’s Morris: questions and answers
Can I take a piece out of a mill?
Only if every piece the other player has is in a mill. Otherwise the pieces outside mills are the only ones you may take.
How does a game end?
A player with only two pieces left, or no legal move on their turn, loses. A hundred moves without a mill is a draw.
What does flying mean?
A player down to three pieces may move a piece to any empty point instead of only the next one along a line.
Does the robot know the whole game?
Not the whole game, but Hard searches six moves ahead with an eye for mills and mobility, which is more than most players manage at speed.