Then the game stops and the captured stones are counted and in this case, the stones on the board are not counted by either player.

Players can agree to stop the game when a stalemate sitution arises in the end game (when both players can easily avoid any further losses for ever. So, it's very important that players try to have at least one stone on the opponent's side or else they must be sure that the move will win more stones than are lost with this penalty. Then the player must forfeit all the remaining stones on the board to the opponent. If the last piece you drop is in your own store, you get a free turn. If you run into your opponents store, skip it. The first player who can capture 21 stones is the winner.Ī penalty is given for leaving the opponent's side without stones to move with. If you run into your own store, deposit one piece in it. Only '1 or 2 stones' are required for capturing instead of '2 or 3'. This variant uses the same rules as the Oware or Trysse variant except: Or when an impasse is reached in which neither player can affect another capture, as when two or three pieces are endlessly chasing each other around the board.īoth players must agree to stop play, and will split the seeds left evenly, with the player having the most seeds on his side keeping the odd one. West African games of mancala generally use 48 seeds, which means placing 4 seeds in each of the 12 holes. When a player is unable to continue play, and his opponent is unable to feed him more seed. When both players have captured 24 seeds, it's a draw. The first player who can capture 25 stones is the winner. If a move is made that would leave the opponent without seeds, no seeds are captured. This goes on back to the last hole that finished with 2 or 3 stones or the last hole on the opponent's side.Ĭaptured stones are immediately removed from the game. When the previous hole has also 2 or 3 stones, then they are captured as well. And remember that the best way to win is to keep playing and practicing.A player can capture stones by landing on the opponent's side of the board where the final hole contains 2 or 3 stones.Don’t be afraid to sacrifice small gains to set up a larger capture.Pay close attention to your opponent’s moves, and try to predict their next move.The objective of the game is to form 'mills' by placing three of their own rocks, or 'men', in a horizontal or. In the second stage, each of the players, in turn, moves his pieces along the line to available dots. Try to move your stones to the store cup as quickly as possible. In the first, each player places his rocks on the board on the dots where the lines intersect.Here are a few tips to help you get started: A similar game called Dankala with a slightly different design has been copyrighted by Daniel K. His game is sold by Square Root Games, Inc. It was developped by the American Gary MacLeod in the early 2000s. While mancala is a game of strategy, it also requires a bit of luck. 4-Player Mancala is a Kalah variant which can be played by 2-4 people. The player with the most stones in their store cup wins the game. The opposite player then moves any stones in their cups to their own store cup. The game ends when one player no longer has any stones in their cups. If the last stone lands in an empty cup on their side, they capture that stone and any stones in the opposite cup and place them in their store cup. If the last stone lands in the player’s own store cup, they get an extra turn. To begin the game, the first player picks up all the stones in one of their cups and drops them one by one into each of the cups in a clockwise direction, including their store cup, but not their opponent’s. The object of the game is to capture more stones or shells than your opponent. The objective of Mancala is to capture more stones or seeds than your opponent, typically by strategically distributing and moving them around the board. The game begins with four stones or shells in each of the cups, except for the store cups which are left empty. To set up the board, each player should have six cups or pits in front of them, with a larger store cup to the right. The first step in learning how to play Mancala would be to learn how the board is set up. Mancala is easy to understand, but mastering it takes some time and practice. It is a strategy and skill game played with small stones or shells and a series of small cups or pits on a board. Mancala is a classic board game that has been enjoyed for centuries. Whether you’re new to the game or looking to improve your skills, this beginner’s guide will teach you how to play Mancala and give you some tips for playing like a pro. Using these links doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps support this blog. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links.

Instructions for mancala game