Review

This app presents a digital version of Reversi, also known as Othello; a board game for two players. The aim of the game is to claim the most amount of stones, occupying more of the board than the opponent in the process. Players take turns to place their stones, capturing opponent stones that lie between the player's own placed stones. Classic versions of the game employ a simple monochrome theme, with each player being either black or white. This app represents the classic look perfectly, coupled with the traditional rules.

The game provides helpful hints throughout, indicating where the user can make their next move with a small dot placed on possible tiles. The hints can be hidden if the user would like to increase the difficulty level. A clear and pristine layout is used with contrasting colours to give a pleasing and easy to use aesthetic. The app lacks customisable options regarding the aesthetic of the game, however we don't believe that any changes are required to enjoy and use this app.

The game allows for three game modes: single player vs. computer, single player vs. online opponent and two player. Three different difficulty levels can be selected depending on the user’s preference. The Black Hole mode (only available in the paid version) randomly switches squares of the board ‘off’, making the game more difficult and unpredictable. This setting may be appealing to users who have exhausted the other three difficulty levels, however we feel this setting is unnecessary for the average user. Given the complexity of the rules of reversi, we do not recommend this app for anyone unfamiliar or unconfident with the game.

Recommended Settings

There are limited settings available therefore little needs to be changed before going straight into gameplay. However, we would suggest that the player begins in ‘easy’ mode difficulty level as this can be a challenge in itself before progressing to harder levels. It would also be advised hints are left on, as to assist the user with gameplay.