Strategy and long-session games

Mancala

Mancala is a single-player Kalah board game against the computer. Choose one of your six pits, sow its stones around the board, earn extra turns by landing in your store, and capture stones from the opposite pit.

Controls: Tap any non-empty pit on your side. The computer moves after your turn unless your last stone lands in your store.

PCder pick

Mancala is a stable catalog pick.

This page is one of the games PCder is comfortable recommending first: the controls are clear, the source trail is visible, and the game fits a desktop browser session.

Regional page

Play Mancala in the UK

This UK page keeps Mancala on the same no download PCder shelf. Sow stones, plan captures, and outscore the computer. Use the region switcher if you want the US, Canadian, or Australian page.

Quick answer

Mancala online

Mancala is a family of sowing games. This version uses the Kalah rules: choose a pit on your side and distribute its stones counterclockwise. Landing in your store gives another turn. Landing in an empty pit on your side captures the stones opposite. The player with more stones wins.

Best for: Play a free Mancala game against the computer with touch and keyboard controls.
Related searches: Mancala online, free Mancala game, Kalah game, Mancala vs computer

How to play

How to play Mancala

Choose one of your pits Pick a non-empty pit from your row. The large store on the right is yours.
Sow the stones Move counterclockwise and drop one stone into each pit. Skip the computer store when you pass it.
Use extra turns and captures Land in your store to play again. Land in an empty pit on your side to capture that stone and the stones opposite.
Finish with more stones When either row is empty, all stones left in the other row move to that side's store. The higher store total wins.

Player guide

Count the path to your store

Before choosing a pit, count how many spaces its stones will travel. Landing the last stone in your store gives you another turn and can set up a capture.

Your store is the large pit on the right.
A last stone in an empty pit on your side captures the stones directly opposite.
The game ends when either row of six pits is empty.

Mancala tip

Plan where the last stone will land

The final stone decides whether you earn another turn, make a capture, or hand control to the computer. Count forward from a pit before moving, especially when a pit is close to your store.

A pit with the exact distance to your store gives an extra turn.
Leave an empty pit on your side only when you can land there and capture the opposite pit.
Watch the computer row before ending the game because its remaining stones will be swept into its store.

Common questions

Mancala FAQ

Can I play Mancala on a phone?

Yes. Tap one of the six pits on your side. The board rearranges on narrow screens so each pit remains large enough to tap.

Which Mancala rules does this game use?

It uses Kalah rules with six pits and one store per player. Each pit starts with four stones, and the computer controls the opposite side.

How do captures work in Mancala?

If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side, you move that stone and every stone in the opposite pit into your store. The computer follows the same rule.

How do I get another turn?

Your last stone must land in your store. Count the spaces from a pit to the store before choosing it.

Does Mancala save my games?

It saves your total wins in local browser storage. The active board resets if you close the page or choose New game.

Is this Mancala game open source?

Yes. It is an original PCder implementation released under the MIT license. PCder hosts its HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Can I play Mancala on PCder from the UK?

Yes. This UK page uses the same browser build for Mancala, with UK spelling, regional links, and source notes kept nearby. A school, college, or workplace network may still block game sites.