Play Mancala online — free
Sow seeds. Fill your store.
- 1 or 2 players
- Play the computer — 5 levels
- Play friends or other players online
- Phone, tablet or computer — right in your browser
- Free — no sign-up, no download
About Mancala
Mancala is one of the oldest board games in the world. We play Kalah, the most popular version: pick up the seeds from one of your pits and sow them one by one round the board. Land in your own store for another turn, or capture from an empty pit.
Start with 3 to 6 seeds per pit and play the computer or a friend online.
How to play Mancala
Goal
Collect more seeds in your store than your opponent. This is Kalah, the most popular Mancala game.
Setup
- Each player has a row of 6 pits — the row nearest to them — and a big store on their right.
- Every pit starts with the same number of seeds (4 unless you chose 3, 5 or 6). Stores start empty.
- South moves first. Your own row is always shown at the bottom.
On your turn
- Tap one of your pits that has seeds. You pick them all up.
- Going counter-clockwise (to the right along your row), drop one seed in each following pit — including your own store, and on into your opponent's pits.
- Skip your opponent's store.
Extra turns
If your last seed lands in your own store, you move again straight away.
Captures
If your last seed lands in an empty pit on your side and the pit directly across has seeds, you capture: that seed and everything across go into your store.
How the game ends
- As soon as either player's six pits are all empty, the game ends.
- The other player puts all seeds left on their side into their own store.
- Most seeds in the store wins. An equal count is a draw.
Move notation: pits are numbered 1–6 from each player's own left, so S3 is South's third pit and N6 is North's pit next to North's store. + marks an extra turn, x a capture.
Tips
- Look for pits holding exactly enough seeds to reach your store — chain extra turns together.
- Play from the pit nearest your store early; it sets up more extra turns.
- Watch your opponent's empty pits: a big pile across from one is a target.
- Seeds piled on your side near the end can be captured — or swept to you. Count before you commit.
Mancala: questions and answers
Is Mancala free to play?
Yes. Mancala on Neon Game Cave is completely free — there's nothing to download and you don't need to sign up.
Can I play Mancala against the computer?
Yes. Choose "Play the computer" and pick one of 5 levels — from a gentle beginner to a tough opponent.
How do I play Mancala with a friend online?
Open the Game Cave and challenge your friend from the Players online list in the lobby. To be sure you find each other, share a chat room code first — friends in a chat room also get free text chat during the game.
Can I play Mancala on my phone or tablet?
Yes. Mancala runs in the web browser on phones, tablets and computers, so there's no app to install. You can add Neon Game Cave to your home screen to open it like an app.
Do I need an account to play Mancala?
No. You can play straight away as a guest. Signing in with Google is optional — it keeps your games safe in the cloud and, in games with leaderboards, puts your best scores on them.