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List of mancala games

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Games in the mancala family include:

Popular games

A modern, European Bao/Omweso board with jade gemstones

The most widely played games are probably:

  • Bao is a complex strategy game of Kenya and Tanzania, played on a 4×8 board.
  • Kalah is the ruleset usually included with commercially available boards; however, the game is heavily biased towards the first player, and it is often considered a children's game. The board is 2×6 with stores. The Pie rule can be used to balance the first-player's advantage.
  • Oware, the national game of Ghana, is also known by Warri, Ayo (Yoruba Name. Nigeria), Awele, Awari, Ouril, and other names. It has relatively simple rules but considerable strategic depth. The board is 2×6 (not counting optional stores).
  • Omweso (also known as coro) is a strategic game of Uganda, played on a 4×8 board.
  • Pallanguzhi is played in Tamil nadu, Southern India with 2 x 7 stores. Two varieties of this game are popular, Kaashi and Bank.

Games with unusual features

  • Bohnenspiel is a German mancala based on a Persian game not unlike some African mancala variants. The board is 2×6 with 2 stores.
  • ǁHus is a Namibian game. The board is 4×8.

Modern adaptations

  • Bantumi, featured on many early Nokia phones such as the Nokia 3310
  • Conga (Martin Franke; Germany)
  • Cups (Arthur Amberstone and Wald Amberstone; United States: New York)
  • Devil Bunny Hates the Earth, where you try to save the world by jamming taffy machines. (James Ernest and Cheapass Games; United States: Seattle, Washington)
  • Oh-Wah-Ree is a commercial variant of Oware with provision for more than two players.
  • 55Stones is a modern mancala game with simultaneous moves.
  • Kauri is a modern mancala game with two kinds of seeds.
  • Mangala (Serdar Asaf Ceyhan; Turkey)
  • Space Walk is a modern boardgame with mancala mechanic.
  • Trajan is a modern boardgame variant with mancala mechanic.
  • Five Tribes is a modern boardgame variant with mancala mechanic.

Traditional variants

Omweso (or Igisoro) players in Kigali, Rwanda
Vietnamese children playing ô ăn quan

Notes

  1. Henry R. Muller, Warri: A West African Game of Skill, The Journal of American Folklore. Vol. 43, No. 169. pp. 313-316.
  2. Stewart Culin, Philippine Games, American Anthropologist, Vol. 2, No. 4. (Oct-Dec 1900), pp. 643-656.
  3. Alan P. Merriam, The Game of Kubuguza Among the Abatutsi of North-East Ruanda. Man, Vol. 53. (November 1953), pp. 169-172.
  4. H. A. Stayt, The Bavenda.
  5. P. H. G. Powell-Cotton, H. J. Braunholtz, A Mancala Board Called "Songo.", Man. Vol. 31. (July 1931), pp. 123.

References

External links

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