How to play
The board has 24 points on three squares. Each player has 9 stones. White starts, then you take turns.
The goal is to make a mill: three of your stones in a straight line on one of the drawn lines. Every time you close a mill, you take one stone of your opponent off the board.
1. Placing
First, both players place their 9 stones, one at a time, on any empty point. You can already make mills here.
2. Moving
When all stones are placed, you move one stone per turn along a line to a free point next to it. Open and close your mills to take more stones.
3. Jumping
When a player has only 3 stones left, that player may jump to any empty point. Many families play this way, some don’t. You can switch it off above.
Who wins?
You win when your opponent has only 2 stones left, or when they can’t move any stone. It is a draw when the same position comes up three times, or after 50 moves each without a mill.
One more rule: you can’t take a stone that sits in a mill, unless all of your opponent’s stones are in mills.
4 quick tips
- Take the crossings. The four middle points of the middle square have four neighbours. Stones there are hard to block.
- Don’t rush mills while placing. Being able to move later matters more. Many games are lost because all stones get stuck.
- Block two-in-a-row. If your opponent has two stones on a line and the third point is free, fill it first.
- Build a Zwickmühle. That’s a set-up where one stone moves back and forth and closes a mill every time.
More tips with pictures: Mühle strategy: 7 tips to win more games.
What Mühle trains
- Thinking ahead. You plan two or three moves before they happen.
- Reading the other side. You learn to spot your opponent’s plan before it works.
- Patterns. Good players “see” mills and traps at a glance.
- Calm decisions. One careless move can cost the game.
It is good practice for your brain, and a great game to play with children or grandparents. To be honest with you: no game is proven to raise IQ or stop memory loss.
The three levels
Easy sometimes makes a random move, so it is good for learning. Medium looks about three moves ahead. Hard thinks for up to a second per move and looks much deeper. Hard is strong, but not perfect. Can you beat it?
Questions
- Is this game free?
- Yes. Free, no signup, no download. It works in your browser on phone and computer.
- Can two people play on one phone?
- Yes. Choose “2 players” and pass the phone after each move.
- What is a Zwickmühle?
- A running mill: one stone can move back and forth and closes a mill with every move. It is the strongest thing you can build.
- What is Mühle called in English?
- Nine Men’s Morris. Other names are Mills and Merels.
- Is my game saved?
- Yes, on this device. You can close the page and continue later.
A very old game
Mühle is one of the oldest board games still played today. Boards were scratched into stone in Roman times, and in the Middle Ages people carved them into church benches and castle walls all over Europe. In Germany it is still a family favourite, often printed on the back of a checkers board.
More games for your brain
About this game
Made by SepoGames in Hamburg. The computer player is our own and plays by the classic rules. Found a bug? Send us feedback.
Updated 24 September 2026: first version with 3 levels, 2-player mode, hints and undo.