Mancala

1-2 players · 3-15 min per session

Finish with more stones in your store than your opponent.

Players: 1-2P Session length: 3-15 min

Board GameStrategyTwo Player

Goal & Core Rules

Finish with more stones in your store than your opponent.

This game uses the Kalah-style mancala rule set with stores on both ends of the board.
On your turn, choose one pit on your side and sow all stones from it counter-clockwise.
If your last stone lands in your own store, you immediately earn an extra turn.
If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side and the opposite pit holds stones, you capture both into your store.
The game ends when one side of regular pits is empty; the remaining stones on the other side move into that player's store.

Current implementation: Kalah

The build includes the store-based Kalah rules. Other mancala-family variants such as Oware are not implemented here.

Controls

Mouse

Click one of your pits to sow from it
Use the top menu for new game, restart, and help

Touch

Tap one of your pits to sow from it
On smaller screens, the numbered 1–6 quick buttons mirror the current player's pits
Use the top menu for new game, restart, and help

Beginner Tips

Count where your last stone will land before you move—endings matter in mancala.
Extra turns (ending in your store, in Kalah-style rules) are powerful—look for chains of them.
Avoid feeding your opponent easy captures by leaving single stones vulnerable.

Advanced Tips

Plan 2–3 moves ahead: set up an extra turn that also creates a capture threat.
Control the tempo by choosing moves that change the pit distributions your opponent can access.
In endgames, track remaining stones and consider whether to race to empty your side or prolong play.

Origins & History

Mancala is a family of two-player, turn-based strategy games played with stones/seeds and pits. This project specifically implements the store-based Kalah rules from that family.

Sources

Mancala — Wikipedia

FAQ

Which rules does this build use?

It uses the Kalah rule set with stores, extra turns for landing in your own store, and opposite-pit captures.

Can I play solo?

Yes. Easy, Normal, and Hard are vs-computer modes, and the game also includes Two Player and Computer vs Computer modes.

What should I focus on first?

Practice counting where your last stone lands. That drives both extra turns and the strongest capture setups.