Nine Men's Morris is a 2 player strategy game from way back in the day. This game appeared around the days of the Roman Empire. ( Think 27 BC )

The Game Basics

Each player starts with 9 Stones (men) each set a different colour. (Red vs Blue) Players take turns placing their pieces in to vacant spots on the board. After all pieces are on the board, Then you continue taking turns sliding the pieces to adjacent spot. You can't jump over an other piece.

All While trying to make mills. A mill is when you line up 3 of your pieces vertically or horizontally.

Once you get a mill, you remove one of your opponent's pieces. But you can't remove a piece in an opponent's mill, unless there are no other pieces to take.

When your opponent has only 2 pieces left.. You WIN!

Game Variants

This game has lots of different ways to play!

"pounding" When a player moves one of their pieces out of a mill, then moves it back to form the same mill. I never like that rule. So when I play you have to more 2 of the pieces of the mill before yo can make the same mill over again.

With less "men" (different boards) Three Men's Morris, Six Men's Morris, or more Twelve Men's Morris.

Some choose to count diagonal Mills.

Some add in a flying Phase, This is when a player has 3 pieces left. They can fly to any open spot.

Step 1: Make a Board, Get Some Stones.

If it's Nine Men's Morris then most look like this..

But some just have pits, and no line to connect them. You can make those in the dirt/grass, wood, or anything.

Super easy to layout it's just. 3 squares with 4 lines (some people add 4 diagonal lines)

Get Stones!

2 Sets of 9 stones, or anything that you can tell apart.

Step 2: PLAY! Phase One

Here is an animation of them Setting Down

Phase One

Players take turns placing their pieces in to vacant spots on the board.

After all pieces are on the board... Move to Phase Two.

Step 3: PLAY! Phase Two

Here is an animation of them

Moving around

Phase Two

After all pieces are on the board, You continue taking turns sliding the pieces to adjacent spots.

You can't jump over an other piece.

All wile trying to make mills. A mill is when you line up 3 of your pieces vertically or horizontally.
Once you get a mill, you remove one of your opponent's pieces. But you can't remove a piece in an opponent's mill, unless there are no other pieces to take.

When your opponent has only 2 pieces left.. You WIN!