Mancala
Sow stones, capture pits, fill your store.
- Players
- 1–2 players
- Time
- 5–20 min
- Ages
- 6+
- Where
- Same room or online
- You need
- Nothing but this page
How to play Mancala
- 1Each player has six pits on their side and a store on their right. Every pit starts with four stones.
- 2On your turn, pick up all the stones from one of your pits and sow them one by one, anticlockwise, into the next pits. Skip your opponent's store.
- 3If your last stone lands in your own store, take another turn.
- 4If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side, capture it along with every stone in the pit opposite.
- 5When one side runs out of stones, the other player keeps their remaining stones. The fullest store wins.
- Player 1: 0
- Player 2: 0
- Draws: 0
Player 1's turn
Player 2 ←
0
0
Player 1 →
Variations
- Quick game: start with three stones per pit. Long game: start with six.
Tips
- Count ahead. A pit with exactly the right number of stones to reach your store gives a free turn.
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