Othello

Othello (often called Reversi) is an old game that I think really stands the test of time. It's rules are simple, the game is easy to learn and it can be quite challenging to play against a skilled opponent.

Othello is a two player game with one player playing black and another playing white. Each play involves laying a piece in a position where two of your colored pieces flank an opponents. Any pieces between the two are flipped to your colour. This alternates until a player cannot make a move on their turn. Then the pieces are counted, whoever has the most pieces of their colour on the board wins.

As you can see the rules are very basic, however the strategy can actually get quite complicated. For instance a piece in a corner can never be flanked so it will remain whatever colour it was when it was placed. Therefor manouvering an opponent into a position where you can claim a corner is very important. Some placements can have multiple lines vertically, horizontally and diagonally allowing you to take more pieces. Sometimes taking fewer pieces limits an opponent's placement options forcing them to allow you to take a more strategic token placement.

This game is great for teaching novice players to think multiple placements in advance. It is also great for teaching players to see deeper strategy in a simplistic rule structure.

The only negative thing I can say about this game is that some players view it as childlike due to it's simplistic concept making it difficult to attract players, however this childlike simplicity does make it more attractive to non-gamers and children.

Basically it's a gateway game. Start playing this next thing you know you'll up all night rolling dice and flipping cards.

To sum up I would recommend Othello (or Reversi if you must call it that) to any player. This game is fun and easy to pick up especially for children. It is great for easing novice players into deeper strategic thinking. It is a great example of simple, classic style gaming that will always be accessible and playable by anyone.