Mancala Play Online Against the Computer or a Friend

About this game

Play Mancala free online against the computer or a friend. Pick up all the seeds from one of your pits, sow them one by one around the board, and collect more seeds in your store than your opponent. Land in your own store for an extra turn, and land in an empty pit to capture seeds from across the board.

Quick answer: Tap one of your pits. Its seeds are sown one per pit, counter-clockwise, into the following pits and your own store, skipping your opponent’s store. If your last seed lands in your store, you go again. If it lands in an empty pit on your side, you capture it plus all the seeds in the pit opposite. When one side is empty, the game ends and the player with more seeds wins.

How to play Mancala

1. The board. Each player has six pits on their side and a store at their right-hand end. Every pit starts with four seeds (you can choose three to six).
2. Sowing. On your turn, pick up all the seeds in one of your pits and drop one into each following pit, counter-clockwise. Drop seeds into your own store as you pass it, but skip your opponent’s store.
3. Extra turn. If your last seed lands in your own store, take another turn.
4. Capture. If your last seed lands in an empty pit on your side and the pit directly opposite has seeds, move both your seed and the opposite seeds into your store.
5. End of the game. When all six pits on either side are empty, each player moves any seeds left on their side into their own store. The player with the most seeds in their store wins.

Mancala strategy tips

• Chain extra turns. Count the seeds: a pit that is exactly as many steps from your store as it has seeds ends in your store. Play the pit closest to your store first, so the others still line up.
• Look for captures. An empty pit on your side opposite a full pit is a target. So is your opponent’s, so protect your big pits.
• Keep seeds on your side late in the game. When one side runs out, the other player keeps the seeds still on their side.
• Do not feed your opponent. Big sowings pass seeds to the other side. Sometimes a small move is better.

This version uses the most widely played Mancala rules, with six pits a side. Mancala is really a large family of sowing games played around the world for centuries, with many local rule sets.

Enjoy board games? Try Backgammon, Reversi or Nim, or see all our free online games.

FAQ

Can I play Mancala with a friend?

Yes. Choose Friend (2 players) and pass the device. Player 1 plays the bottom (left on phones) and Player 2 the top (right on phones).

How many seeds are in Mancala?

The standard game uses 48 seeds: four in each of the twelve pits. Choose three seeds per pit for a quicker game or six for a longer one.

Is the computer hard to beat?

Easy plays almost at random. Medium looks a few moves ahead, and hard looks about nine moves ahead, so it is tough to beat.