Funskool's Travel Othello (item 9632000), the pack our link goes toPhoto: Funskool
The back of the pack: the board, 64 discs and the rulesPhoto: Funskool
Discs from another set: black on one side, white on the otherPhoto: Paul_012, CC BY-SA 3.0
Video

Two-player game

Travel Othello

Full Othello rules and 64 discs in a small folding case

2players · best with 2
15–30 minplaying time
7+recommended age
Learning curve
Very easy1 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Pure skill, no luck
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
Under a minute
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Long train and bus journeys, or a hotel room on a family holiday

Think twice if You will mostly play at home: the full-size Othello's bigger board and discs are easier to handle and to watch

How we rate it

Learning curve. Place a disc, flip what it traps: the rules are as short as Connect 4's. Spotting every line a move flips, especially diagonals, takes a few games, but getting started is a 1 on our scale.

Luck & skill. No dice, cards or hidden information, so the better player wins almost every time.

Interaction. Every move flips your opponent's discs, and much of the skill is limiting the moves you leave them near edges and corners.

Set-up. Open the case, share out 32 discs each and place the four starting discs in the centre. It takes under a minute.

Reading. Nothing to read during play; only the instruction sheet has words.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

Is Travel Othello right for you?

Great if

  • Long train and bus journeys, or a hotel room on a family holiday
  • A parent and child who want a two-minute-to-learn thinking game in a waiting room
  • Othello fans who already own the full-size set and want one to carry
  • A small birthday or return gift for a child of 7 and up

Skip it if

  • You will mostly play at home: the full-size Othello's bigger board and discs are easier to handle and to watch
  • Toddlers share the house: the discs are small, and the box warns they are not for children under 3
  • You want pieces that lock in place on a bumpy ride: Funskool doesn't describe the discs as magnetic or pegged

How Travel Othello plays

Set-up: open the case and give each player 32 discs; each takes one colour for the whole game. Put four discs on the four centre squares, two black and two white, set diagonally. Every game starts this way, and Black moves first.

  • Time to teach: about 2 minutes.
  • Reading and language: The board and discs carry no words, so the game can be explained in any language in a minute. Only Funskool's two-page instruction sheet is in English.

How to play Othello · Triple S Games

Choose a video · Watch right here

If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Place

    Put one disc down, your colour up, so it traps a line of your opponent's discs against one of yours.

  2. 2
    Flip

    Turn every trapped disc to your colour, in every direction the move traps a line.

  3. 3
    Pass

    No trapping move? You miss your turn; if you have one, you must play it.

  4. 4
    Win

    When neither player can move, the colour with more discs on the board wins.

Read the official rules (PDF)Travel Othello instructions (Funskool, item 9632000) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Travel Othello goes

A turn: place one disc, your colour up, so that it traps one or more of your opponent's discs in a straight line between it and another of your discs. The line can run across, up and down or diagonally, and one disc can trap lines in several directions at once. Every trapped disc is flipped to your colour, even if you would rather not flip them all.

Rules to remember: if you can make a trapping move, you must; if you can't, you miss your turn and your opponent goes again. You can't jump over one of your own discs to trap an opponent's, discs placed on the board never move to another square, and a wrongly flipped disc can be corrected only before the other player's next move. If you run out of discs while you still have a move, your opponent hands you one of theirs.

Winning: the game ends when neither player can move, which can happen before all 64 squares are full. Count the discs, and the colour with more on the board wins. Funskool's sheet suggests scoring the margin, the larger count minus the smaller, if you play a series of games on a long journey.

How it differs from our Othello page: Funskool's full-size Othello (item 9611000) has a plastic 8 x 8 board with a disc holder on each side. Travel Othello (item 9632000) is part of Funskool's 'on the road' range: a folding board with built-in storage in a case of about 21 x 14 cm and 200 g, with the same 64 discs and the same instruction sheet rules. The discs are much smaller, so pack them away after each game. Tip for both: corners can never be flipped, so avoid moves that hand your opponent a way into one.

What's in the box

The back of the pack: the board, 64 discs and the rules · Photo: Funskool
  • 1Folding game board
    8 x 8 travel board that folds into a case with built-in storage for the discs
  • 64Playing discs
    black on one side and white on the other; each player uses 32
  • 1Instruction sheet
    two pages, in English

Box: 21 × 14.3 × 4 cm, 0.2 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.

From Funskool's box back (item 9632000: 'Game Board, 64 Playing Discs, Instructions Sheet') and its two-page instruction sheet; the folding board with built-in storage is from the listing details. Funskool's full-size Othello (item 9611000) has a bigger plastic board with two separate disc holders.

Where to buy

Check price on Amazon.in
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Buy Funskool's set. Funskool makes Travel Othello in India under licence: its product page gives India as the country of origin and Funskool India Ltd as the maker, and a photo of a newer print of the box back reads 'Country of Origin: Made in India'. Travel Othello sets from foreign brands play the same game but are imports. Our Amazon.in link goes to Funskool's Travel Othello, item 9632000.

Before you choose

  • The box front should show the Othello name with Funskool's 'on the road' travel branding and the line 'A minute to learn... A lifetime to master!'
  • The box back should carry item number 9632000, a line saying the Othello trademarks are licensed, and Funskool's copyright
  • Inside you should find one folding game board, 64 discs that are black on one side and white on the other, and an instruction sheet
  • The barcode should be 8901383963208; the full-size set's is 8901383961105
  • 'Reversi', 'flip chess' or 'magnetic Othello' sets from other brands are not Funskool's licensed travel set, even when the word Othello is in the title

What reviewers and players say

We found no reviews of Funskool's travel set, so this rests on what reviewers say about Othello and about travel sets of it. Othello lives up to its 'a minute to learn, a lifetime to master' line: children pick up the rules almost at once, while the fight for edges and corners keeps adults playing for years. A UK review of another maker's folding travel Othello praises how compact and light it is and how everything packs inside the board, but warns that the 64 counters are tiny and there are no spares. As with the full-size game, the more practised player wins most games, and beginners tend to flip as many discs as they can only to lose them straight back.

What people love

  • The same full Othello game in a case small enough for a handbag or school bag
  • Learned in a minute, with enough depth to keep adults interested
  • Games are short, so a few rounds fit into a train journey
  • No dice or luck: the better thinker wins

Common complaints

  • Travel-size discs are small and easy to lose, and sets come with no spares
  • A more practised player wins nearly every time, which can frustrate beginners
  • A smaller board is harder for a third person to watch
Based on 4 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Play time15–30 min5–15 min15–30 min5–15 min
Age7+6+8+6+
RulesEasyEasyEasyEasy
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Questions people ask about Travel Othello

Is Travel Othello the same game as Othello?

Yes. Funskool's travel set uses the same 8 x 8 grid, the same 64 black-and-white discs and the same instruction sheet rules as its full-size Othello. Only the size and the folding case are different.

How big is Funskool's Travel Othello?

The listing gives about 21 x 14.3 x 4 cm and 200 g for the closed case, with the board folding over the discs. It fits in a school bag or a handbag, but the discs are small, so count them back in after each game.

Are the discs in Travel Othello magnetic?

Funskool doesn't say so: its page and box list a game board, 64 playing discs and an instruction sheet, with no mention of magnets or pegs. Play on a flat surface and close the case between games on a moving train.

What age is Travel Othello for?

Funskool's page and the box front say 7 and up, though some listings say 8 and up. A child can learn the flipping rule in minutes, while adults keep playing for the corner-and-edge tactics.

Is Funskool's Travel Othello made in India?

Yes. Funskool's product page gives India as the country of origin and Funskool India Ltd as the maker, and a newer print of the box back reads 'Country of Origin: Made in India'. Funskool makes it under licence for the Othello trademark.

Game facts

Designed by
Goro Hasegawa
Publisher
MegaHouse, Japan (owner of the Othello trademark outside Japan); made and sold in India by Funskool under licence
In India
Funskool India Ltd, Chennai (licensed maker)
First published
2011
Players
2
Barcode
8901383963208
Language
No reading – The board and discs carry no words, so the game can be explained in any language in a minute. Only Funskool's two-page instruction sheet is in English.
Box size and weight
21 × 14.3 × 4 cm, 0.2 kg
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.