Three in a row, one man fewer

Set your nine men on the points, then slide them along the carved lines. Three in a row is a mill, and every mill you close takes one of theirs off the board. Warm wood, a brass bowl of spare men, and a rival who is quietly counting.

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Genre: Board game
Controls: Touch
Mouse
Keyboard
Devices: Desktop
Tablet
Mobile
Released: 2026

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Nine Morris

Nine Morris is Nine Men's Morris, cut into a plank of walnut: three squares inside one another, joined at the middles, twenty-four points where the lines meet. You play the brass men, your opponent the dark river stone. The game opens with your hands full — nine men each, set down one at a time on any free point — and the board fills up faster than you expect.

Three of your men in a row along one line is a mill, and closing one lets you lift an enemy man off the board there and then. You cannot take a man that stands inside a mill unless every man they have left is in one, which is why the good players build two mills that share a point and swing a man back and forth between them, taking a piece every single turn. Once the hands are empty a turn means sliding a man to a neighbouring free point, so the board tightens and blocking becomes as useful as capturing. A side worn down to three men earns the right to fly: move to any free point at all, which turns a lost position into a last chase. Two men left, or no legal move, and it is over.

Play against a brain with three settings — Easy wanders, Normal looks a couple of moves ahead, and Sharp runs a small minimax with alpha-beta pruning, so it sees the double mill coming. Or pick two players and pass the screen back and forth with someone beside you. Legal points glow while you are learning, undo takes back a rash move, the full rules sit one tap away, and your wins and losses are kept in the browser between visits.

Tips for Nine Morris

Nine Morris is often decided while you are still placing your nine men. Spread them over points where lines meet so they have room to slide later, and watch for your opponent putting two in a row: blocking the third point is often worth more than starting a mill of your own.

The strongest shape is two mills that share a point. Swing one man back and forth between them and you close a mill, and take a man, every turn. Men standing in a mill are protected unless every man your opponent has left is in one, so aim your captures at loose pieces. Once the sliding starts, blocking matters as much as capturing, because a side with no legal move loses. Down to three men, you can fly to any free point, which still gives you a last chase. Start against Easy with the glowing legal points and the hint button, then move on to Normal and Sharp.

How to play Nine Morris

Nine Morris is played on a board of three squares inside one another, joined at the middles, which gives twenty-four points where the lines meet. You play nine brass men and your opponent nine men of dark river stone. You win by bringing the other side down to two men, or by leaving it with no legal move.

The game opens with placing. Players take turns setting one man at a time on any free point. Three of your men in a row along one line form a mill, and each time you close a mill you lift one of your opponent's men off the board. A man that stands in a mill is protected, unless every man that side has left is in one. Once both hands are empty, the game moves on to sliding: on your turn you move one man along a line to a neighbouring free point, and closing a mill still takes a man. A side that is down to three men may fly, moving a man to any free point on the board.

On a computer you click a point to place a man, then click a man and the point it should go to, or use the arrow keys with Enter or Space. U undoes a move, H asks for a hint, P pauses and M mutes. On a phone or tablet you tap a point to place a man, then tap a man and the point you want to slide to. Legal points glow while you learn, and the full rules are one tap away in the game.

About Nine Morris

Nine Men's Morris is one of the oldest board games still played, a strategy game for two built on three-in-a-row, and in several languages it is simply called mill. Kiloo's Nine Morris plays the whole game, from placing and sliding to mills, protected men and flying at three, on a plank of walnut under a low lamp, with brass men against dark river stone and a brass bowl of spare men beside the board.

It suits anyone who enjoys a short strategy game with simple pieces and deep play, and it works well for two people sharing one screen. On your own you face a computer opponent at Easy, which wanders, Normal, which looks a couple of moves ahead, or Sharp, which looks far enough ahead to see a double mill coming. Glowing legal points, undo, a hint button and a move list beside the board help you learn, and your wins and losses are kept in the browser between visits.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nine Morris free to play?

Yes. Nine Morris is free to play in your browser on Kiloo. There is nothing to download and no account to create, and your wins and losses are kept in the browser between visits.

Can I play Nine Morris on my phone?

Yes. On a phone or tablet you tap a point to place a man, then tap a man and the point you want to slide it to. On a computer you click, or use the arrow keys with Enter or Space. U undoes a move and H asks for a hint.

Can two people play Nine Morris?

Yes. Pick two players and pass the screen back and forth with someone beside you. On your own you play a computer opponent with three settings: Easy, Normal, and Sharp, which looks far enough ahead to see a double mill coming.

When can you fly in Nine Morris?

A side worn down to three men may fly, moving a man to any free point instead of only a neighbouring one. The game ends when a side has just two men left or has no legal move.

What are the rules of Nine Morris?

Each side places nine men, then slides them to neighbouring points. Three in a row on a line is a mill and lets you take an opposing man. A side down to three men may fly to any free point. A game of Nine Morris is lost with two men left or no legal move.

Is Nine Morris the same as Nine Men's Morris?

Yes. Nine Morris is Kiloo's version of Nine Men's Morris, played on a walnut board with twenty-four points and nine men a side. It follows the whole game: placing, sliding, mills, protected men and flying when a side is down to three.