Manufacturer: Mattel Find all Mattel reviews Model#: B31.65 Weight: 1.48lbs Height: 10.63"     Width: 14.76" Length: 1.81" Average Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars	Retail Price: $12.99 Online Price: $14.98
Features: This classic game of strategy takes a minute to learn, a lifetime to master It's simple enough for children yet challenging for adults Great fun for the entire family For all generations Includes 64 reversible discs, one playing board, six playing board feet and instructions

User Submitted Othello Reviews (cont...)

The rules are simple (easy enough for my six year-old son to figure out) and the game requires that you use strategy and truly plan out moves rather than simply plunking your disk down anywhere. My son, although he requires a bit of assistance from time to time, has fallen in love with the game. My aunt and I have even allowed it to usurp our long time favorite game of backgammon. There's no need to talk, so it even keeps us entertained durring illnesses.

Date: 2003-06-26
Deviously simple. Simply devious.
You put down your black disk, enclosing your opponent's white disk between another black disk already on the board. You then flip the opponent's disk from white to black. You and your opponent take turns until there are no more available moves and the player whose color dominates the board is the winner.

There. That's all there is to Othello. And a little dust was all there was to Vesuvius.

Beneath its innocent appearance and simple game play, Othello conceals one of the most challenging and enduring strategy games known to humanity. Believed to be older than chess and checkers (going back to when it was called Reversi), Othello is a game of unexpected twists and turns, mind-bending strategy and constant challenge. It's one of a handful of strategy games where the outcome isn't decided in the first few moves. If you're playing black, there might be 2 or 3 white disks on the board as the game nears the end. Then, in a few moves you never anticipated, your opponent is suddenly flipping disk after disk to the opposite color. And all you can do is sit there and watch it happen.

Because of its non-linguistic, purely symbolic game play, it's a game many parents teach to their children and soon, find themselves getting whomped over and over again. A child's ability to think abstractly and look ahead hasn't yet been hindered by the adult obsession with language and the written and spoken word. Like learning to draw, becoming skilled at Othello is a function of the "right" brain: thinking without words, seeing everything, pondering every possibility. It's possible to sit in the middle of a busy airport playing Othello and, over time, becoming completely oblivious to everything else going on around you. Othello can easily be played by opponents who don't even speak the same language, which is one of the reasons Othello tournaments attract participants from all over the world.

The product's well-known tagline of "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master" might sound like typical advertising hype but it's true. Computers have been programmed to play checkers and chess nearly flawlessly, but the same still cannot be said of Othello.

Date: 2003-01-02
A great game of strategy & surprise
This is a simple game that is easy to learn, but never fails to surprise. Each game is different, even if you play against the same opponent. Although I am typically not very good at strategy, Othello provides satisfaction of my thirst for a challenge, yet does not frustrate me. Parents be warned: this game is quiet and takes patience. Older kids might appreciate it more.

Date: 2002-06-01
Addicted to Othello
I beat the MS-Windows and Nintendo versions of this game, playing at the master level. Yet I still enjoy the quirks of a human opponent. It seems as simple as Simon, but it's as challenging as chess. My trusty Othello board has provided me and my friends countless hours of entertainment over the years.