Mancala
Mancala
Variant Library

The world's most-played family of count-and-capture games

8Variants
2Players
6+Age

Published by Moddable Games · v0.1.1

Variant Library

Mancala is a family of count-and-capture games originating in Africa and the Middle East, with a history spanning at least 3,000 years. Players sow seeds or stones around a board of pits, capturing when sowing lands in the right conditions. The same fundamental mechanic produces dozens of culturally distinct games across Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

This library includes 8 playable variants from across the Mancala family.

West Africa

  • Oware — The most widely known Mancala game: 2×6 pits, single-lap sowing, grand slam rule
  • Ayo — Yoruba (Nigerian) form of Oware with identical rules and deep cultural tradition

East Africa

  • Bao — The most complex Mancala: 4-row board, multi-lap sowing, relay captures

Southeast Asia

  • Congkak — Malaysian 2×7 board with two houses; sow into own store, skip opponent’s
  • Sungka — Philippine 2×7 board; simultaneous start, sow into own head only

South Asia

  • Pallanguzhi — Tamil Nadu: 2×7 pits, 12 seeds per pit, multi-lap sowing with relay capture

Central Asia

  • Toguz Korgool — Kyrgyz national game: 2×9 pits, tuzduk rule locks one opponent pit

Western Standard

  • Kalah — The 1940s Western standardisation: 2×6 pits plus two stores, accessible and fast