Mancalaplay the classic board game online, free
Sow your pits, chain free turns, and raid the far side. Play Mancala against a computer opponent at three strengths — no download, no sign-up, right in your browser.
You
0
AI
0
Turn
Ready
Play Mancala vs the computer
Land your last stone in your store for a free turn, or in an empty pit to capture
1–6 keysWhat is Mancala
One of the oldest board games still played today
Mancala is a count-and-capture game played on two rows of six pits with a scoring store at each end. You scoop up a pit and sow its stones one by one around the board, hunting for free turns and captures, and bank as many stones as you can in your own store. The rules take a minute to learn and a long time to master — every stone you move changes what both players can reach next.
- Three opponent strengths
- Relaxed for learning how stones carry around the board, Classic for a real game, and Sharp for an opponent that reads your captures before you make them.
- Plays in your browser
- No download, no install, no plugins. mancalagame.app sets a board the moment the page loads, on desktop and mobile.
- Undo and hints
- Take back a move to test a line, or ask for a hint that points at a strong pit. Sowing animates one stone at a time so you always see where the last one lands.
- Progress saved locally
- Wins, losses, draws, your win streak, and your best winning margin are stored on your device — never on a server.
How to play
How to play Mancala
Sow a pit counter-clockwise, drop stones one per pit, and look for the two moves that matter: last stone in your store for a free turn, last stone in an empty pit for a capture.
- 1
Read the board
Two rows of six pits sit between two larger stores. Each pit starts with four stones — 48 in all. The row nearest you is yours, and your store is the one on your right. The goal is simple: finish with more stones in your store than your opponent has in theirs.
- 2
Sow counter-clockwise
On your turn, pick one of your own pits and scoop up all of its stones. Drop them one at a time into each pit that follows, moving counter-clockwise. You drop a stone in your own store as you pass it, but you always skip your opponent’s store.
- 3
Earn free turns and captures
If your last stone lands in your own store, you immediately take another turn. If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side, you capture it plus every stone in the pit directly across from it, and all of them go to your store.
- 4
End the game
The game ends the moment either player has no stones left in their six pits. The other player then sweeps all the stones remaining on their own side into their store. Count both stores — the larger one wins, and 24 apiece is a tie.
Tips to win more games
- Your rightmost pit is worth the most: the pit next to your store with exactly one stone always scores a free turn.
- Plan free turns in sequence. Playing a pit that lands in your store, then another that does the same, lets you make several moves before your opponent replies.
- Set up captures by leaving one of your pits empty when its opposite pit is full, then dropping a single stone into it.
- Watch your opponent’s last pit. If they can reach an empty pit of theirs that faces a loaded pit of yours, you are about to be captured — break it up first.
- Hoarding is a strategy. A pit with many stones is safe from capture and can be unloaded late for a big swing.
- Late in the game, count. Whichever side empties first hands the rest to the other player, so sometimes you want to run out first and sometimes you do not.
- Use undo to test a line. If a sowing does not open a free turn or a capture, take it back and try a different pit.
FAQ
Mancala, answered
Straight answers about the free Mancala board game you can play online in your browser.
What is Mancala?
Mancala is the name for a family of ancient "sowing" board games. The version played here is the one most people mean by the word: a board of two rows of six pits with a store at each end, four stones per pit to start. Players take turns scooping up a pit and sowing the stones one by one around the board, trying to bank the most stones in their own store. It is also known as Kalah.
How do you play Mancala?
On your turn, pick one of your own six pits and take all its stones. Drop them one at a time into the following pits, going counter-clockwise, including your own store but not your opponent’s. If your last stone lands in your store you go again. If it lands in an empty pit on your side, you capture that stone plus everything in the pit opposite. When either player’s six pits are empty, the other player takes all the stones left on their side, and whoever has more in their store wins.
Is Mancala free to play online?
Yes. mancalagame.app is completely free and runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to buy, download, or install, and there are no interruptive video ads, premium tiers, or paywalls. Open the page and a board is already set.
Do I need an app or an account?
No. The game is the website — a 100% browser-based build with no app store download and no sign-up. Your stats are saved locally in your browser, so there is no login to manage.
How many stones and pits are there?
The board has 12 small pits — six on each side — and two larger stores, one per player. Each of the 12 pits starts with 4 stones, for 48 stones in total. A player wins by finishing with 25 or more stones in their store; 24 each is a draw.
What is the free-turn rule?
If the last stone you sow on your turn drops into your own store, you take another turn immediately. You can chain several free turns together in a single go. This is the single most important rule for scoring well, because it lets you make multiple moves before your opponent responds.
How does capturing work?
If your last sown stone lands in one of your own pits that was empty, and the pit directly across the board holds stones, you capture that single stone and all the stones in the opposite pit. Every captured stone goes into your store. If the opposite pit is also empty, nothing is captured and the stone simply stays there.
Who goes first, and does it matter?
In this version you always move first. Going first is a real advantage in Mancala — with perfect play the first player can force a win on the standard board — but that advantage is small at a casual level, and the computer opponent will punish loose play regardless of who started.
How do the difficulty levels differ?
Relaxed looks only a move or two ahead and sometimes plays randomly, so it is forgiving while you learn. Classic searches several moves deep, chains its own free turns, and sets up captures — a solid everyday game. Sharp runs a deep search that protects its weak pits and reads your captures in advance; beating it means planning a full exchange ahead.
How do I win more games?
Play every move that lands in your store first, so you bank free turns before committing. Keep a large pile in one pit as an uncapturable reserve. Set up captures by emptying a pit whose opposite is loaded, then dropping a single stone in. Watch the opponent’s reachable empty pits so you are not captured, and near the end, count carefully — the player who runs out first gives the rest away.
Does the game save my progress?
Your games played, wins, losses, draws, current and longest win streak, and best winning margin are saved locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server and there is no account. Because the save lives on the device, a different phone, a new browser profile, or cleared site data looks like a fresh start. A game in progress is not saved if you close the tab.
Can I play Mancala on mobile?
Yes. The layout is built for touch: tap one of your pits to sow. The full board and both stores fit on one screen in portrait, and starting a new game is instant with no page reload.