Palat Do is our name for Reversi, the game many people know as Othello. You place a goti so that your opponent's gotis are trapped in a line between two of yours, and every trapped goti flips to your colour. The rules take a minute to learn, and then one move in the last corner turns the whole board around.
Here are the Reversi rules as Mandli plays them, some tips for beginners, and how to play it online with a friend while the rest of the group watches every flip on voice.
Kya chahiye: Just phones. The app shows legal squares and flips the gotis for you.
Rules: kaise khelte hain
The start
An 8x8 board starts with 4 gotis in the centre, placed crossed: two Kaale and two Safed. Kaala moves first, and in Mandli the challenger plays Kaala.
Placing a goti
On your turn you place one goti on an empty square. The move is only legal if it traps at least one straight line of your opponent's gotis between the new goti and another of yours. Lines can go across, down or diagonally, in any of the 8 directions.
Palat do: flipping
Every opponent goti trapped in those lines flips to your colour. One move can flip lines in several directions at once. Only the gotis in a direct line between your two gotis flip, with no gaps.
No move? Your turn passes
If you have no square that flips anything, your turn passes automatically and your opponent plays again. You can never pass while you have a legal move.
End of the game
The game ends when neither player can move, usually because the board is full. It also ends at once if one colour has no gotis left. More gotis on the board wins. Equal counts is a draw. Empty squares are not given to anyone.
Time
Each move has 20 seconds. If time runs out, the app plays a legal move for you, and it likes corners. Three timeouts in a row lose the game. Players can also offer a draw or resign.
Points kaise milte hain
A win is worth 20 points. Win by 20 or more gotis (Palat diya poora) and you get 3 more. Wipe your opponent out completely and you get 5 more instead of 3. A draw gives 8 each and a loss gives 2. Points carry across games in the same room.
Jeetne ke tips
- Corners can never be flipped. Grab them when you can.
- Avoid the squares right next to an empty corner. They often hand the corner to your opponent.
- Flipping lots of gotis early is usually a mistake. Fewer gotis in the middle game means fewer moves for your opponent.
- Try to leave your opponent with bad choices, or none at all. Making them pass is a big win.
- Edges are strong once the corner next to them is yours.
Ghar wale rules aur variants
In the oldest version of Reversi, players placed the first four gotis wherever they liked in the centre. Mandli always starts with the crossed position.
In some tournament scoring, empty squares at the end are added to the winner's count. Mandli counts only gotis on the board.
Some people allow a pass even when a move exists. In Mandli you pass only when you have no legal move, and the app does it for you.
Palat Do online kaise khelein
Make a room in Mandli, share the link on WhatsApp or show the QR code, and pick Palat Do. Friends without the app join from the browser link. Two play while everyone else in the room watches each flip at the same moment, taps reactions and talks on voice. The host can hide the legal-move dots for experienced players, and can switch on Chup-chaap dekho to keep watchers quiet during the game. After each game the winner stays and the next person in the queue sits down; after 3 wins in a row the champion takes a break, unless the host switches that off. A dropped player's seat is held for 60 seconds.
Sawaal jawaab
Are Reversi and Reversi the same game?
They are the same idea with small differences. Reversi always starts with the four centre gotis crossed, which is how Mandli plays Palat Do.
What are the basic rules of Reversi?
Place a goti so that it traps a line of your opponent's gotis between it and one of yours. The trapped gotis flip to your colour. When nobody can move, the player with more gotis wins.
What happens if you can't make a move in Reversi?
Your turn passes and your opponent plays again. If neither player can move, the game ends.
Who moves first in Reversi?
Kaala (black) moves first. In Mandli the challenger plays Kaala.
Can I play Reversi online with a friend for free?
Yes. Mandli is free, has no ads and needs no login. Share the room link on WhatsApp and play Palat Do with voice chat inside the game.