How to Play Kalah Mancala

THE PLAYBOOK · XQIN8

Kalah Mancala: from controls to your first round

Try Kalah Mancala at your own pace and keep its objective in view. When either row of six pits is empty, remaining seeds go to their owner’s store. The larger store wins. Look at what changes after your first action. Treat the first round as a chance to learn the controls. Use the example below to understand a decision.

Take a closer look while playing

Read one step at a time and try it on the playing area. Match the instruction to the control you use. Make the next step deliberately.

The challenge in front of you

When either row of six pits is empty, remaining seeds go to their owner’s store. The larger store wins. Keep that objective in view throughout the round. Return to the instructions when a step is unclear.

How a round unfolds

1. Player 1 uses the bottom six pits; Player 2 uses the top six.
2. Choose a non-empty pit on your side and sow its seeds one at a time.
3. Include your own store but skip the opponent’s store. Ending in your store grants another turn.
4. Ending in an empty pit on your own side captures that seed and the opposite seeds, when the opposite pit is non-empty.

Using the playing area

Use the on-screen controls with a mouse or touch. On a smaller screen, keep the active part of the board within view. Make sure you are interacting with the game rather than the surrounding page.

One way to understand the rules

If your last seed reaches your store, you move again. If your row becomes empty, both stores are settled immediately. Compare this with the rule that governs the move. Keep the controls nearby.

A common point of confusion

The stores are scoring areas, not pits you can choose. These are Kalah rules, not every Mancala variant. Check the rule before repeating the action. Compare the worked example with your own position. Use the reasoning, not an answer copied from a different board.

Questions that come up during play