If they cross the large storage house (the rectangles at both ends of the board) in the process, they can drop one seed in it.ĭo not deposit any seeds into the opponent's storage house, only into your own.
Moving in a counter-clockwise direction, the player then drops one seed in each of the small houses/pits as they move around the board. (This is just one reason why Mancala is a popular tool for fine motor skill development in children.) Keep in mind that it's customary for players to use only one hand when both picking up and dropping the seeds. The storage houses will be empty at the beginning of the game (the storage unit to your right is your own.)īasic Mancala Rules of Play The first player chooses any one of their six small pits/houses to begin, and picks up all four seeds inside of it.
In other words, one "color" is not more valuable than another in the rules of the basic play.Įach player gets 24 seeds in total, and they place 4 seeds in each of their six small houses. Though these are often found in a variety of colors and materials, this is just a style preference. The game has 48 "seeds" (pieces) in total. On each end of the board, there's a larger rectangular house, referred to as the "storage house." This is where you'll collect the seeds that you "capture" when playing. Setting up the Board First, let's go over the setup of the board itself.Įach mancala board has 12 small holes in total, usually referred to as "houses" or "pits." Each player has six individual houses, the horizontal row directly in front of them. The object of mancala is to collect more seeds (the rounded game pieces) than your opponent does. Remember that there are lots of different variations of the mancala game, but that the Kalah style is likely the one most familiar to you. In America especially, the Kalah version of the game is the most commonly played option. How Do You Play Mancala? Before we get into some of our favorite mancala rules variations, let's make sure you understand the basics of the game first. Villagers playing a mancala game in Yagba, Nigeria, by August Udoh. Plus, because many the different ways to play mancala are based on a variety of cultural traditions, you'll be able to learn more about the world around you in the process. We'll also include a few strategies that will help you to win no matter which type of mancala you're playing. In it, we'll teach you some of the most popular mancala rules variations that will bring different challenges to the table. Whether you're using mancala as an educational tool or if it's a staple of your family game night, mancala helps to improve critical thinking skills and brings out the competitive side in all of us.Įspecially if you've been playing mancala for a long time - or if you need to simplify the game so it's easier for young children to play - you're likely curious about new ways to play Mancala. Try to plan two or three moves into the future.Mancala is one of the oldest board games of all time.īecause it's relatively simple to teach but endlessly entertaining to play, it's not hard to see why the game has stood the test of time. Planning ahead is essential to victory in board games like Mancala. The winner is the player with the most pieces. The player who still has pieces on his side of the board when the game ends captures all of those pieces. The game ends when all six spaces on one side of the Mancala board are empty. Always place all captured pieces in your store. If the last piece you drop is in an empty hole on your side, you capture that piece and any pieces in the hole directly opposite.Ĥ.
MANCALA TIPS FREE
If the last piece you drop is in your own store, you get a free turn.ģ.
If you run into your opponent's store, skip it.Ģ. If you run into your own store, deposit one piece in it. Moving counter-clockwise, the player deposits one of the stones in each hole until the stones run out.ġ. The game begins with one player picking up all of the pieces in any one of the holes on his side. (Cereal bowls work well for this purpose.) The color of the pieces is irrelevant.Įach player has a 'store' to the right side of the Mancala board. Next, four pieces - marbles or stones - are placed in each of the 12 holes. If you don't have a Mancala board handy, an empty egg carton can work. The Mancala 'board' is made up of two rows of six holes, or pits, each.
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