Mancala: Rules and How to Play
Mancala (Kalah) is a board game for 2 to 4 players, about 10 minutes. Collect the most stones in your store and you win. Free. In-browser. No account.
Setup
- This is the worldwide standard version — what most English speakers mean by mancala. 2 to 4 players, each owning six pockets (seven or four by setting) and one store.
- Put four stones (three by setting) in every pocket. The stores start empty.
- Turns pass anticlockwise. Your own side is always drawn along the bottom of the screen.
How to play
- Choose one of your pockets and lift every stone out of it. Empty pockets cannot be chosen.
- Sow those stones one at a time into the following pockets, going anticlockwise.
- You sow through your own store, but you skip every other player's store.
- If your last stone lands in your own store, you take another turn.
- If your last stone lands in an empty pocket on your own side, that stone and the stones in the matching pocket all go into your store. If the matching pocket is empty you take nothing and the stone stays where it landed.
Winning and scoring
- The game ends the moment any player's side is completely empty.
- Every stone still on the board goes into the store of the player whose side it is on.
- The player with the most stones in their store wins. Equal counts share a place.
- You may also resign, which puts you last.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–4 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | For games that allow a draw, ratings do not change. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pockets each | How many pockets each player owns. With 2 players choose six or seven; with 3 or 4 players choose six or four. A number that does not fit the table falls back to six. | Six | Can be changed |
| Stones per pocket | How many stones start in each pocket. Fewer stones means a shorter game. | Four | Can be changed |
| Whose stones you capture | Only applies with 3 or 4 players: whose matching pocket you empty when you land in an empty pocket of your own. With 2 players there is only one opponent, so every choice behaves the same. With 3 players nobody sits opposite, so "the player opposite" means the next player. | The next player | Can be changed |
| Swap who starts | Swap the starting player after each game. | On | Can be changed |
Terms
- One of the hollows that holds stones. You own six of them (seven or four by setting).
- Store
- The large hollow at the end of your side. The stones you gather there decide the game.
- Sow
- To drop the stones you lifted one at a time into the following hollows.
- Extra turn
- The free turn you get when your last stone lands in your own store.
- Capture
- Taking the matching pocket's stones, plus your own last stone, into your store.
- Matching pocket
- Count n pockets back from your store; the matching pocket is the n-th from the opponent's entrance. With two players it sits directly opposite.
FAQ
Do stones go into other players' stores?
No. In Kalah you skip every store but your own.
Is the pocket I emptied skipped?
No. If you have enough stones to go right round, that pocket gets one too.
Where is the matching pocket?
Count n pockets back from your store; the match is the n-th pocket from the opponent's entrance. With two players it is directly opposite. Choosing a pocket marks it on screen.
What if the matching pocket is empty?
You capture nothing, and the stone you just placed stays where it is.
Whose stones do I take with 3 or 4 players?
Whatever the table is set to. The default is the next player; you can also choose the player opposite, or everyone. With 3 players nobody sits opposite, so that choice takes from the next player.
Can a game be drawn?
Yes. Players with the same number of stones in their store share a place.
How is this different from Japanese Mancala (Mancala Basic)?
Mancala (Kalah, this game) is won by collecting the most stones in your store, and landing in an empty pocket of your own captures the stones opposite — the version most English speakers mean by mancala. Japanese Mancala (Mancala Basic) is won by being the first to empty your own side, with no capturing — the version spread in Japan by the Japan Recreation Association.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-14 · Run by Qdan, Inc.