Mancala

Sow your seeds and make each turn count.

Free to play · No account · In your browser · Play game ↓· Game settings ↓

MANCALA

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Game controls & settings

LEFT/RIGHT choose a pit · SPACE/ENTER sow it · last seed in your store (right) = go again · last seed in an empty pit of yours takes the seeds opposite · you play the bottom row, sowing left to right · most seeds in your store wins

Computer difficulty

Changing players or difficulty starts a new game.

How to play Mancala

Choose a pit on your bottom row and distribute its seeds around the board. Ending in your right-hand store gives another turn. Ending in an empty pit on your side captures the seeds opposite. Play with the original Nickelbar rules and board drawings. Help below the game lists its keyboard and mouse shortcuts. Your current game stays in this browser tab.

Select a bottom-row pit with the mouse or left and right arrows.
Click or press Space to sow its seeds.
Finish with more seeds in your store than the computer.

Keyboard & mouse controls

Hover one of your pits, click to sow it

Arrow keys: Move or select a square
Space / Enter: Play the selected move, or resume
N / P: New game / pause
H / Tab: Help and settings / choose a game
U: Undo (where available)

Click the board before using keyboard controls. On a phone, you can also use the buttons beneath it.

Common questions

Is Mancala free?

Yes. Play in your browser without an account or a download.

Can I pause and come back?

Press P to pause. Your current game is kept in this browser tab’s session; your best score is stored on this device. Clearing browser data removes saved progress.

Where is this game from?

The game engine and board drawings come from Nickelbar by Cob Muddybug, adapted to run in a browser. MIT licence and credit.