Mancala

Sow pit by pit, land in your store to go again, capture from empty pits

Offline

Play against bots, no connection needed.

Bot difficulty
Play as
Seeds per pit

Online play

Match with other players. Start when the table is full.

Live matches

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How to play

Mancala gameplay screenshot
  • The board has two rows of 6 pits, one row per player, and the large trough on your right is your store. Each pit starts with 4 seeds (3–6 can be chosen) and the stores start empty.
  • On your turn, pick up all the seeds from any pit in your row and sow them counter-clockwise, one per pit, into the following pits and your own store. Skip your opponent's store.
  • If the last seed lands in your store, you move again. There is no limit to extra turns.
  • If the last seed lands in an empty pit in your row and the pit directly opposite has seeds, put that seed and all the opposite seeds into your store. If the opposite pit is empty, nothing is captured.
  • The game ends as soon as all six pits on either side are empty. The other player puts all seeds left in their row into their own store. The player with more seeds in their store wins; equal stores are a draw.
  • Online games allow 30 seconds per move; on timeout a pit is sown automatically and auto-play starts. Players swap who goes first every game, and leaving mid-game counts as a loss. Offline games are untimed and allow undo.

Playing guide

These options and rules describe the current JoyPip version. Choose a mode above before starting; rules are also available during play.

Step-by-step examples

Select a step to see what changes. These are partial examples, not full starting positions.

Practice options

Bot difficulty
Beginner · Amateur · Professional · Master
Play as
First player (moves first) · Second player (moves second) · Random
Seeds per pit
3 seeds · 4 seeds · 5 seeds · 6 seeds

Private room options

Seeds per pit
3 seeds · 4 seeds · 5 seeds · 6 seeds

Detailed rules and controls

Tips
  • When a pit holds exactly as many seeds as its distance to your store, the last seed lands in the store and you move again. If several pits qualify, play the one nearest the store first
  • An empty pit of yours facing a well-filled opponent pit is a capture chance. Watch for the same threat against you
  • A pit with 13 seeds sows exactly once around the board; the last seed lands back in the emptied starting pit and captures the opposite pit
  • More than half of all seeds in your store guarantees the win: seeds in a store never leave it
  • Seeds left in your row at the end go to you, so late in the game there's no need to rush seeds over to your opponent's side
Controls
  • On your turn, the pits in your row that hold seeds light up. Click or tap one to sow. Hovering with a mouse marks where the last seed will land
  • In portrait the board stands upright: your pits are the left column with your store at the bottom; your opponent's pits are the right column with their store at the top
  • Tap the board during the sowing animation to skip to the result
  • The number beside each pit is its seed count. Numbers in the move list are pit numbers (1–6 in sowing order); several numbers in one turn mean extra turns
  • Keyboard: arrow keys move between pits; Enter or Space sows

Frequently asked questions

When do you get an extra turn?

At the start, pit 3 holds exactly 4 seeds, so its last seed lands in your store and you move again. When the last seed lands in a pit of yours that was empty and the opposite pit has seeds, both go into your store; if the opposite pit is empty, nothing is captured. Before moving, check which empty pit of your opponent's faces one of your well-filled pits.

Do I need a download or a linked email?

Play directly in your browser without a download. Linking email is an optional way to recover your account. Before clearing browser data, consider whether you need to keep your account or local records.

Do matches earn or spend coins?

Earn coins by checking in and spend them on cosmetics. Matches never cost or award coins.

Report a problem

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