About Mancala
Mancala is a family of counting games that has been played across Africa and the Middle East for well over a thousand years; in the Arab world it is known as al-manqala. Our version uses the popular Kalah rules: six pits a side, four seeds in each and a store at each end. Pick up all the seeds in one of your pits and sow them one by one around the board to fill your store.
Land your last seed in your own store and you play again. Land it in one of your empty pits and you capture every seed in the pit opposite. When one side runs out of seeds the game ends, and the player with the most seeds wins. Play an easy computer, a hard one that looks eight moves ahead, or a friend.
How to play
- Tap one of your pits on the bottom row. Its seeds are sown counter-clockwise, one per pit.
- Seeds skip your rival's store but drop into yours.
- Last seed in your store: take another turn. Last seed in your empty pit: capture the pit opposite.
- More than 24 seeds in your store wins the game.
About Mancala
Mancala is the name of a huge family of sowing games played across Africa and the Middle East for centuries. Our version follows Kalah, the variant popularised in the United States in the mid-20th century.
Tips to score higher
- Count the seeds: a pit with exactly enough seeds to end in your store earns a free turn.
- Chain several free turns before making any other move.
- Watch for empty pits on your side opposite a full rival pit: that is a capture waiting to happen.
- Keep a few seeds on the right side late in the game to control the ending.
Mancala FAQ
When does the game end?
When one side has no seeds left; the other player adds all their remaining seeds to their store.
Is the hard computer beatable?
Yes, but it looks several moves ahead, so plan your free turns carefully.
Try next: Backgammon, Reversi and Dots & Boxes.
