Nine Men's Morris: game rules
Nine Men's Morris
🎯 Goal: Take so many of your opponent's stones that only two are left – or hem them in so they cannot move any more.
⚪ Placing: Each of you has nine stones. Take turns placing one on a free point until all 18 are on the board. Light starts.
↔️ Moving and flying: Then you move one of your stones along the lines to a free neighbouring point. With only three stones left, you may fly to any free point.
⊞ Mill: Three of your stones on one line make a mill: you take one of your opponent's stones – only one, even when you close two mills at once. Stones in a mill are safe unless all of them stand in mills.
🏆 Winner: Whoever is down to two stones or cannot make a move loses. You can resign at any time.
🤝 Draw: If the same position occurs for the third time with the same player to move, the game is a draw. You can also agree on a draw. Fifty moves by each side without a closed mill (after the setting phase) are a draw as well.
Settings & scoring
⚙ Variants: The host can set two variants (default: standard rules). "Flying with three pieces" off: even with only three pieces you move along the lines only. "Double mill takes two pieces": whoever closes two mills with one move takes two of the opponent's pieces.
🖱 Controls: Played by the rules of the world federation. Tap the piece first, then the target; allowed points light up blue, removable pieces are marked red. With “Offer draw” you propose a draw – your opponent accepts or declines, moving on counts as declining; “Resign” ends the game after a confirmation. With the keyboard the arrow keys move along the lines, Enter places or selects.
🪑 With two players you face each other at a wooden table in the lobby: you always at the bottom, your opponent at the top, the game already laid out in the middle. An empty chair reads “Seat free” – you copy the invite link at the top next to the code.
🔁 After the game either of you can offer a rematch – it starts as soon as the other accepts. The colours swap, and whoever did not open the last game moves first.