Mancala

Mancala
21-002

Originally played by carving the playing arena into soil or sand and using stones or shells as the playing pieces, our beautiful wooden version includes a folding playing board that allows easy storage of the wooden balls.  It is a personal favourite of ours.  The rules are very simple and the game can be quite quick but it is a joy to play and makes a great piece to keep out on the dining table (read our blog review).

Game Overview:  Requires 2 players.  There are several variations using 3, 4 or 6 balls in the game play.  Our favourite is the 6 ball game.  

Lay the board horizontally between you so that the oval pots known as the kala's are at either end.  Place six balls in each of the smaller round pots (the excess balls can be evenly split between the two kalas or placed out of the game).  Each player owns the six pots closest to them and the kala to their right.  The aim of the game is to get as many balls as possible in your own kala whilst preventing your opponent from gaining balls in their kala.

A move consists of taking all the balls out of one of your own pots and distributing them in an anti-clockwise direction, one by one in each subsequent pot including your own kala and your opponent's pots (but not your opponents kala).  If the last ball lands in your kala you can take another turn.  If the last ball lands in an empty pot (either your own or your opponents) you can take that ball and all the balls from the opposite pot and place them in your kala.  

For example in the first move Player 1 could take the balls from the pot on their far left (their first pot), placing a ball in each subsequent pot will result in the last ball landing in their kala resulting in getting a second turn.  Their next move may be to take all the balls from the pot on their far right (their sixth pot) which will now have 7 balls in it. Distributing these in the anti-clockwise direction and remembering to omit Player 2's kala will result in the last ball landing in their opponents sixth pot.  It is now Player 2's turn. If the were to then redistribute the balls from their sixth pot (7 balls in total) their last ball would land in Player 1's empty pot which means that they can remove that ball and all the balls from the opposite pot (their own first pot) and put them in their kala.

It can sound complicated when you haven't got the board in front of you, but as soon as you play out this sequence it will make sense.  But don't worry the game comes wilth full written instructions.

Board Size: 50 x 13cm