How to Play Mancala (Kalaha): Rules & Gameplay

A quick run-down of the Mancala rules for beginner players

Last Updated: March 17, 2023

Mancala is a family of board games played around the world, sometimes called "sowing" games, or "count-and-capture" games. Kalaha is a form of the popular board game Mancala family, and it's probably the game you're thinking about when you say "Mancala." So, are you ready to get started? Read on to learn all the basics about this easy and fun game.

1

Understand the object of the game.

Collect as many playing pieces as possible. You want to do this before one of the players clears their side of all the playing pieces. The row of six cups in front and closest to each player are theirs.^{[1]
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Research source}

2

Start by placing four stones in each small cup.

You have 48 stones total and 12 cups. This means there should be four stones in each cup. Each player starts off with a total of 24 stones or beads.

3

Find your Mancala.

Your Mancala is the big basin to your right. Also called a "store," it is where captured pieces are placed.^{[2]
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4

Choose which player is going to go first.

There's not really an advantage to going first. So, feel free to flip a coin or choose a person at random.

5

Start play in a counterclockwise direction.

The first player takes all four stones in one cup on their side and places one stone each in any four adjacent cups.^{[3]
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Research source} Keep in mind that players can only grab stones that are on their side.

6

Put stones only in your own Mancala.

Players can't put stones in their opponent's Mancala. If you have enough stones to reach your opponent's Mancala, skip it.

7

Take turns picking up stones in any cup and placing them.

If your last stone falls into your Mancala, take another turn.

8

Capture pieces when you can.

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Captured pieces go into your Mancala store. If the last stone you drop is in an empty cup on your side, capture that piece along with any pieces in the hole directly opposite.

===End the game when one player's 6 cups are all empty.

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The player who still has stones left in their cups captures those stones and puts them in their Mancala.^{[4]
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Research source} Players compare the number of stones in their Mancala. The player with the most stones wins.

Community Q&A

Question

Can you still play if you have lost pieces?

Community Answer

Yes, just find the appropriate substitute. For example, go outside and find small pebbles or stones.
Question

Can there be three pebbles in only one of the cups?

Hannah

Community Answer

It isn't a good idea to start off with only three pebbles in only one of the cups, as that provides a little bit of disadvantage to either player. Some alternatives if you lost a piece is to find a small substitute or instead make all of the cups have three, taking away one pebble from all of the holes that have four in them.
Question

What happens to the pebbles that are left on the other side?

Cloudcrunch

Community Answer

All of them go to the player who did not make the last move.