Mancala

Mancala is an ancient African game dating back to at least 3rd century A.D. that uses capturing and sowing.

Number of Players

The game is played with two players

Set Up

• 24 stones
• A mancala board (2 x 6 houses and at either end of the board are two large houses called a mancala)

Before game play begins, the players determine turn order somehow. Next, place 4 stones in each of the small houses. Each player gets one side of the board, called a store.

Game Play

The players take turns. The current player picks up stones from a house and places (called “sowing”) a single stone inside houses starting with a house in their store until there are no more stones picked up. Either player’s mancala could potentially be a house that receives a stone. If the last house is empty and in the opposing player’s store, pick up all stones in the corresponding house in the current player’s store, placing the stones in their mancala. If the last house is in the current player’s store, the current player gets another turn.

Winning the Game

The game ends once all stones are removed from all houses on one side of the board. At this time, if any player has stones on their side of the board, they pick those up and add them to their mancala.. The player with the highest number of stones wins the game.