Marble games mancala how to#

Now, there are some house Mancala rules that you can add to the game of Kalah for more variety as well: Now keep playing, because this game is addictive. The player with the most pieces in their Store wins the game. The opposite side player then collects all the remaining pieces in their pits and places them in their store. Nice! Ending the GameĪs mentioned, the game ends when all the pits are empty on one side of the board. Place all these captured pieces in your store and gather up those points. If you drop your last piece during a turn into an empty pit on your side of the board, and the opposite pit has one or more pieces left in it, you get to collect your last piece and the pieces from the opposing pit. There is no limit to how many consecutive turns you can take during a game.Ģ. If during a turn you drop your last piece into your own Store, you get another turn. The game moves in this fluid, counter-clockwise fashion until one player has emptied all the pits on their side. Just skip over and proceed to the next pit on your side. However, you do not deposit a piece in their Store. If you cross over to your opponent’s side, you deposit a single piece in each of their pits. If you pass your Store, you deposit a single piece in it. You take turns by picking up all the pieces in one of your pits and moving counter-clockwise around the board, depositing a single piece in each subsequent pit as you move. Let’s talk more about how the game works. The game ends, and pieces in each Store are counted, when all the pits on one player’s side are empty. The object of Mancala is to have the most pieces in your Store at the end of the game. For example, more advanced players like to use 6 pieces in each pit. You can also play with more pieces in each pit to start. To set up a game of Mancala, each player places 4 pieces into each of the 6 pits on their side of the board. When playing the game, facing the board, your Store will be on the right side of the board. These are called Stores, also known as Mancalas. Notice there is a longer pit at each end of the board. See the following image for a typical Mancala board layout. These are also called pods, pockets, or houses. The board that has two rows, each with six hollowed-out pits. The game pieces may be marbles, plastic or glass “seeds”, beans or stones. You need a Mancala board and game pieces.

Marble games mancala how to#

You might also like: How to play Go, one of the world’s oldest board games. It looks simple, and doesn’t take long to learn, but people have been playing and mastering this game for thousands of years, so you know there’s a lot of skill and strategy involved. Kalah is a two-player strategy game that is fun for kids and adults. So, if you want to learn how to play Mancala, this is a good place to start. Kalah is the version of Mancala you will likely play if you purchased a Mancala board in a store or online. This guide will provide an overview of the rules for each of these Mancala versions, starting with the most popular commercial version: Kalah. Other well-known versions include Oware, Congkak, and Togus Kumalak. The most popular version of the game is known as two-rank Mancala, or Kalah. Whether you have never played or you’re an expert, the number of variations and different rules are fascinating. Try to plan two or three moves into the future.This post provides an overview of how to play Mancala, a family of strategy board games played around the world for centuries. Planning ahead is essential to victory in board games like Mancala. The winner is the player with the most pieces. The player who still has pieces on his side of the board when the game ends captures all of those pieces.Ĭount all the pieces in each store. The game ends when all six spaces on one side of the Mancala board are empty. Always place all captured pieces in your store. Side, you capture that piece and any pieces in the hole directly opposite.Ĥ. If the last piece you drop is in an empty hole on your If the last piece you drop is in your own store, you getģ. If you run into your opponent's store, skip it.Ģ. If you run into your own store, deposit one piece in it. Stones in each hole until the stones run out.ġ. Moving counter-clockwise, the player deposits one of the

Pieces in any one of the holes on his side. The game begins with one player picking up all of the (Cereal bowls work well for this purpose.) The color of the pieces is irrelevant.Įach player has a 'store' to the right side of the Mancala board. Next, four pieces - marbles or stones - are placed in each of the 12 holes.

If you don't have a Mancala board handy, an empty egg carton can work. The Mancala 'board' is made up of two rows of six holes, or pits, each.