Mills, also called Nine Men’s Morris, is a classic strategy board game that’s easy to learn and fun for all ages! It’s a favorite family game—great for building thinking skills, patience, and a little friendly competition.
What You Need:
• Mills board (with three squares inside each other, connected at the midpoints)
• 9 black and 9 white pieces (coins, stones, or tokens)
• 2 players
How to Start:
1. Both players take turns placing one piece at a time on any empty point.
2. Try to make a straight line of 3 of your pieces—this is called a “Mill.”
Forming a Mill:
• Whenever you make a line of 3 pieces in a row (horizontally or vertically), you can remove one of your opponent’s pieces from the board.
• You can’t remove a piece that’s in a mill unless no other pieces are available.
Moving the Pieces:
• Once all pieces are placed, players take turns moving one piece to a connected empty point.
• Keep making mills and removing your opponent’s pieces!
Flying Rule (Endgame):
• When a player is down to just 3 pieces, they can “fly” (move to any empty spot on the board, not just adjacent ones).
Winning the Game:
• Block your opponent so they cannot move, or
• Remove all but two of their pieces.
The last player with more than two pieces (or able to move) wins!