Nine Men's Morris — Historic Medieval Strategy Game

Form the Mill. Block Your Opponent. Capture Their Men.

Simple to learn. Surprisingly difficult to master.

Nine Men's Morris is one of history's enduring strategy games. Two players command nine pieces each, competing to form rows of three—called mills—while blocking and capturing their opponent's pieces.

There are no dice and no luck involved. Victory comes from planning ahead, controlling key positions, and recognizing when to attack—or when to sacrifice a piece to set a trap.

A Game with Ancient Roots

Games using mill-like boards have a very long history, although historians caution that not every ancient carved pattern can be confidently identified as the same game played today.

What we can say with much greater certainty is that Nine Men's Morris was well established in medieval Europe. Game boards have been found scratched or carved into stonework at medieval sites, evidence of a game that could be played almost anywhere with a simple board and a handful of counters.

The game remained familiar for centuries. It even appears in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, written near the end of the 16th century, with the famous reference to "the nine men's morris.”

That makes it a wonderful link between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

How the Game Works

Each player begins with 9 men.

First, players take turns placing their pieces on the board. Whenever you create a straight line of three of your own pieces—a mill—you may remove one of your opponent's men.

After all the pieces have been placed, players move their men along the board from point to adjoining point, continually trying to create new mills while preventing their opponent from doing the same.

Reduce your opponent to only two men, or leave them with no legal move, and you win.

The rules are straightforward, but the strategy can become wonderfully challenging as players learn to create, break, and reform mills.

Games From The Lost Archives

Part of our Games From The Lost Archives collection, Nine Men's Morris brings a game enjoyed for centuries back to the table.

Ideal for:

• Renaissance faire fans
• Homeschool history
• Classrooms and living-history programs
• Family game nights
• Medieval and Renaissance enthusiasts
• Unique historical gifts

2 Players • No Dice • Easy to Learn • Pure Strategy • Centuries of History

Place your men. Build your mill. Capture your opponent.