← Computer · B
You · A →
Choose a pit on your row. Tab + Enter/Space to sow. Scroll inside the board on a narrow screen.
Mancala
Sow a pit one seed at a time. Finish in your store to move again; an empty pit can turn into a capture.
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About Mancala
Mancala names a family of sowing games. This version implements Kalah: move every seed from one pit around a shared ring, build your store and look for captures. It is free to play in your browser without an account or download.
Your store is on the right from your own side: A’s store is at the right of the screen, B’s at the left. A sows right across the bottom row, then left across the top. B does the reverse. Exact counts remain visible even when a pit holds more seeds than the drawing shows.
How to play Mancala
- 01Each player owns six pits and the large store to their right. Choose 3, 4 or 5 seeds per pit; 4 is the usual Kalah setup. In computer mode you are A on the bottom row.
- 02Choose a nonempty pit on your side. Sow every seed counterclockwise, one per pit or your own store, skipping only the opponent’s store. The arrows show the direction on each row.
- 03If the final seed lands in your store, play again. If it lands in an empty pit on your side and the opposite pit contains seeds, capture those seeds and the final seed into your store.
- 04As soon as either row is empty, the other player collects all remaining seeds into their own store. More stored seeds wins; equal totals are a draw. There are no numbered levels.
- 05Undo removes the latest local move, or your last move and all computer replies. Restart or a setup change starts a fresh match. Valid history is saved in this browser when storage is available.
Mancala controls
- Mouse or touch
- Choose a nonempty pit on the active row. Hover or focus previews its ending point, extra turn or capture without making a move.
- Keyboard
- Tab through available pits, then Enter or Space to sow. The same rules apply to keyboard and pointer input.
- Recovery
- Undo returns before your latest sow and every computer reply. Restart keeps settings and empties history. Setup changes start a new match.
Mancala: modes and scoring
This is a repeatable strategy match, not a level campaign. Three setups contain 36, 48 or 60 total seeds, with 3, 4 or 5 in each pit. More seeds changes opening distances and capture opportunities.
Choose who starts, local two-player or one of two practice computers. Easy compares immediate outcomes; Standard searches up to four sowing moves with a fixed node budget. Saved matches resume in this browser, without counting old moves as new actions.
Mancala tips and strategies
Plan a second sow
With four seeds in each pit, A’s third pit from the left ends in its store on the first move. The extra turn lets you improve another pit before the opponent responds.
Count the opposite pit
An empty own pit is useful only when your final seed lands there and the opposing pit is nonempty. Empty opposite pits do not produce captures in this ruleset.
Read the final sweep
Emptying either row ends the match even if your last seed reaches the store. Count the opponent’s remaining seeds before you force that ending.
- Count to your store before choosing a pit.
- Protect empty pits that could let your opponent capture a large group.
- Watch the whole row: emptying it ends the game immediately.
- Easy uses immediate scoring; Standard looks ahead a limited distance. Neither is a perfect opponent.
Mancala FAQ
Which Mancala rules are used?
This is Kalah: six pits per side, two stores, extra turns and opposite-pit capture. It does not use Oware, Bao or relay-sowing rules.
Can two people play?
Choose Local 2-player to take turns on one device. There are no online rooms or remote multiplayer.
Does it save my match?
The settings and legal move history are saved locally when storage is available. There is no account sync.
What happens when a sow goes around the board?
Continue around the ring, including the pit you originally chose if reached again. Skip only the opposing store, including on later laps.
Does a store landing always mean another turn?
Only while both rows still contain seeds. An empty row ends the game immediately, so an extra turn cannot postpone the final sweep.
Is Standard unbeatable?
No. It searches a bounded number of sowing moves and may miss deeper tactics. No perfect-play claim is made.