HOW TO PLAY THE MANCALA FREE APP?
GAME SET-UP:
The board has two rows, six pits (round holes) each with a store (oblong hole) at each end. Four marbles are placed in each hole.
MANCALA GAMEPLAY:
Each player starts their turn by selecting a hole on their side. The player drops a marble, one-by-one, into each succeeding hole counter-clockwise around the board until the marbles run out. In Mancala, this is called "sowing."
CAPTURE: If you end on an empty pit in your row, the marbles in the opposite pit are captured.
FREE TURNS: Place your LAST MARBLE in your store and get an extra turn!
AND THE WINNER IS...
When a player runs out of marbles, the game ends. The opponent gets to add all marbles on their side of the board to their store. This is where real strategy comes into play.
The player with the most marbles in their store wins!
MANCALA FREE STRATEGY TIPS
- Plan ahead, get free turns whenever possible.
- Going first? Start with the hole that is FOUR PITS away from your store. Why? Because the last marble you place will end in your store and you get a BONUS turn!
Ready to travel back in time? Mancala isn't exactly a time machine, but it's one of civilization's earliest games.