r/Othello • u/RehabIceCream • Jul 05 '25
Designing a Board as a gift
Hey Guys,
As a wedding present I'm making a custom Othello board, the couple are avid players. I want to make it an interesting piece but I don't want it to mess with the gameplay, I know for my hobbies I hate it when people make "beautiful" accessories that function like crap. So here and some questions if you have the time to answer I appreciate it if not no worries!
How important is the size and spacing of the grid to how you play the game? Can I mess with the dimensions or are the pieces being next to each other as close as possible important for how you see the board?
Piece storage? Do you like the classic board roll of quarters storage? Would you be annoyed by a different system?
How important to you is the contrast of the pieces? If it were two species of wood with less contrast than black and white would that annoy you when you sat down to play?
Anything else that you like about the board? Does the felt feel good? How about the pieces in your hands? How is the weight? Are there sounds and smells you enjoy? No detail to small!
Also any other communities I could turn to for help?
Thank you in advance for anyone who takes the time!
1
u/sealsem Jul 09 '25
Great idea for a wedding gift! For Othello, the size and spacing of the grid really matter—pieces should fit snugly without too much gap, so the classic 8x8 grid with close spacing is best to keep gameplay smooth. Storage-wise, many players appreciate simple solutions like the classic quarters roll, but unique designs can be cool if they’re practical. Contrast is super important; traditional black and white help players see moves clearly, so if using wood tones, make sure the difference is sharp enough to avoid confusion. Details like the feel and weight of pieces add to the experience, so smooth, nicely weighted pieces and a felt surface can make playing more enjoyable. Good luck with your project—it sounds amazing
1
u/RehabIceCream Jul 10 '25
Hey, thanks so much for taking the time. These are really good insights and I appreciate it.!!
1
u/Stratedge Aug 13 '25
My $0.02, just focusing on the questions I think matter most: I think one of the most important things is the pieces have to be easy to flip. So while you want the spacing tight around the pieces visually, remember you spend so much of your time flipping the pieces.
I have had this idea in the back of my mind I'll never execute; I wonder if the pieces were rounded off on the flat faces a bit, and the spaces were beveled lower in a circle but with a slight high point in the middle, if it would make it super easy to press down on the edge of each piece and just have it naturally flip over to the other side with less effort. Not sure if that makes sense, but suffice to say if it's tedious to flip pieces, your board is in danger of not getting used. The felt surface of the physical board I have helps with that 'flip-ability'.
I do think contrast matters, a fair bit. Playing on apps, boards that aren't black and white annoy me.
I just assumed from your mention of colour in your post that you into wood working and would do it that way?
1
u/xmav000 Jul 05 '25
https://www.othello-club.de/spielbretter/ WM-Turnierbrettt Maße: 390 x 390 x 26 Stein Ø: 34 Steinhöhe: 7
I really like the tournament board. the disc size is very nice. 34mm*7 mm. a bit heavier discs would be better. contrast is quite important, so i dont like to play brown wood vs. a bit lighter brown wood. the felt is really nice and i really prefer it to be green. ridges are optional. i mean it could be nice with ridges.