I didn't know Othello but the gameplay is a lot of fun.
Now I'm curious about the story part that was scrapped like you mentioned.
Viewing post in Rift Raiders jam comments
Thanks for checking out my game and appreciate the feedback, Othello is board game you can play a digital version online: https://www.eothello.com/ <- Not My SIte.
As for best summarized : "In time desperation you must gather your crew and jump through lunar rifts and take what you need to survive from the void"
You would be able to pick from a pool of leaders and different pieces with unique abilities. The tiles themselves would have modifiers as well which would impact your score. The void would get madder/harder has you progress through the stages.