Oware
No stores to sow into and no extra turns. You capture when your last seed makes a pit on the far side two or three, and the capture runs backwards as long as the pits keep coming up two or three. Twenty-five seeds wins.
Oware
vs Computer · Medium
You to play
Tap a pit to sowYour row is the bottom oneNo seeds go into the storesMake a far-side pit two or three to captureKeys: 1–6 sow a pit, U undo, H hint
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How to play
Learn the board. Play Mancala.
Sow round the board, land in your store to move again, land in your own empty pit to capture. Five minutes of reading is enough to play; a lifetime is not enough to master it.
- Rules and a worked turnThe board, sowing, the extra turn, the capture and the end, with an example turn.
- StrategyThe best opening, extra-turn chains, when to capture, and what perfect play is worth.
- Variants and house rulesOware, Congklak, Bao and the rest of the family, and how to set up your own rules.
Game questions
Quick answers about play and progress.
How do you win Mancala?
Have more seeds in your store than your opponent when the game ends. In Kalah the game ends when one row is empty; the other player then collects their own row.
Do you go again if you land in your Mancala?
Yes. In Kalah, a last seed in your own store means you take another turn.
What if the last seed lands in an empty pit?
On your own side, and with seeds in the pit opposite: you capture both. On the opponent's side, or with an empty opposite pit: nothing happens.
Can you move backwards in Mancala?
No. Sowing always goes one way round the board, counter-clockwise in the standard rules.
Can you skip your turn?
No. If you have seeds in any of your pits you must move one of them.
What happens if I have no seeds left?
In Kalah the game ends at once. The other player takes the seeds on their side. In Oware the opponent must feed you if they can.