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Rules / Congklak rules

Congklak rules

Congklak in Indonesia, congkak in Malaysia and Brunei, sungka in the Philippines, dakon in Java, naranj in the Maldives: the same seven-pit game under many names. Ninety-eight seeds, and sowing that does not stop when your hand is empty.

Updated 9 September 2026

Play: CongklakStrategy

Sowing

Seven pits a side, seven seeds in each, a store at each end. Pick up all the seeds in one of your pits and sow them one per pit, dropping one in your own store as you pass it and skipping the opponent's store.

Where the last seed lands

In your own store: take another move.

In an occupied pit, on either side: pick up all the seeds in that pit and keep sowing from there.

In an empty pit on your side: capture the seeds in the pit opposite, and your last seed, into your store. If the opposite pit is empty you still move your last seed to the store. Your turn ends.

In an empty pit on the opponent's side: your turn ends. The seed stays there.

The end

The round ends when one row is empty. The seeds still on the board go to the player who owns them. The fuller store wins.

The traditional game

Played at home, both players start their first move at the same time and race. After a round, each player refills their own pits with seven seeds from their store. Pits they cannot fill are "burnt" and skipped for the rest of the game. The loser starts the next round. Play continues until one player cannot fill a single pit. This site plays a single round with players moving in turn, which is how the game is usually played online.

Questions

Is sungka the same as congklak?

Yes. Sungka is the Philippine name, congkak the Malaysian, congklak and dakon the Indonesian. The rules are the same seven-pit game.

What happens when the last seed lands in a pit with seeds?

You pick up everything in that pit and keep sowing. A turn can lap the board several times.

How many seeds are in Congklak?

Ninety-eight: seven in each of the fourteen pits.