About Mancala - one of the oldest board games
Mancala is not one game but a large family of sowing games played across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The version most people in Europe and America know is Kalah, with six pits a side and four stones in each.
An ancient family of games
Boards with rows of pits have been found carved in stone at sites in Africa and the Middle East that are many centuries old. Hundreds of variants are still played today, such as Oware in West Africa, Bao in East Africa and Congkak in South-East Asia. The word mancala comes from the Arabic word for moving.
Kalah
Kalah was devised in the United States in the middle of the twentieth century and became the best-known version in the West. It uses six pits per side, a store at each end and, usually, four stones per pit. Its rules are simple, which makes it a good introduction to the whole family.
The rules
Players take turns to pick up all the stones in one of their pits and sow them anticlockwise, one per pit, including their own store but skipping the opponent's. A last stone in your own store gives another turn. A last stone in an empty pit on your own side captures it and the pit opposite. When one side is empty, the other player stores the stones left on their side, and the bigger store wins.
Strategy tips
Look for pits that end exactly in your store, and play the one nearest the store first, so the others still fit. Keep an eye on empty pits on your side and on the pits your opponent could use to capture. Hoarding stones in a pit near your store can pay off at the end, but makes a tempting target.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mancala the same as Kalah?
Mancala is the name of the whole family of sowing games. Kalah is one particular version, and the one most often sold as Mancala in Europe and America.
Does the first player have an advantage?
Yes. In standard Kalah with four stones per pit, the first player can win with perfect play, but in practice the advantage is small.
Can I play Mancala online for free?
Yes. The PictorX version is free and runs in your browser, against the computer, against a friend or computer against computer.
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Play Mancala (Kalah) free in your browser. Sow the stones round the board, land in your store for an extra turn and capture your opponent's stones. Play the computer on three levels, a friend, or watch two computers.
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Play Reversi, also known as Othello, in your browser. Place discs to flip your opponent's, see every legal move, and play the computer from Easy to Hard, a friend, or watch the computer play itself.
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Play checkers in your browser: English checkers on 8×8 or International draughts on 10×10, with compulsory captures, multi-jumps and kings. Play the computer from Easy to Hard, a friend, or watch the computer play itself.
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