The way I was taught and have always played is that the person collects the stones on their side when the other player finishes. I noted that other, digital implementations (like 51 Worldwide Games on Switch) play the same way. I think the scores would be much further apart doing it the other way.

Hi! I’ve seen conflicting answers about who gets the remaining stones once someone’s side is empty. This site and others says the person with stones remaining gets to keep them. Just as many sites say the opposite! Do you have a perspective on this?

Thanks for the kind words, I’m glad it helped 🙂

I’ve watched at least 4-5 videos explaining how to play this game, and they either contradicted each other or were simply not clear. This is the best guide for the game I’ve seen so far. Sometimes words are better than videos.

Mancala Instructions
This ancient game doesn’t take too long to learn. While there are a few small rules that you will pick up along the way, the 4 main rules are pretty basic.

Stay on your side
You can only move the gems on your side (which is the bottom row). Once it gets to your opponent’s side that is opposite of you, the gems are mostly out of your control.

Moving your Mancala pieces
To move, you click on one of the cups in your row. This picks up all the pieces in that cup and deposits them counter-clockwise, putting one gem in each cup, until there are no gems left to deposit. (You’ll see!)

Gaining extra moves
If the last gem of your move lands in your Mancala, you get to go again. This rule is extremely important. The more moves that players get, the more opportunities they have to gain a leg-up against their opponent.

Extra gems
If the last gem of your move lands in an empty cup on your side and there are gems in the opponent’s cup across from it, then all the gems in both cups get put into your Mancala, and your turn ends normally.

Play against the computer or a friend on the same device! We recommend playing on the computer first in order to get a good grasp of the game. Once you start feeling comfortable against the computer, then it is time to take your skills to the next level in the multiplayer version of Mancala.

Why is it called Mancala?
The name Mancala comes from the Arabic word ‘naqala’, which translates to ‘to move’ in English. This is due to the fact that Mancala is a game where pieces are constantly shifting around the board.

The reason it is taken from Arabic is that Mancala is thought to originate from countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa. It was later brought to the western world after multiple centuries of play.

What is the goal of Mancala?
The entire goal of Mancala is to collect as many pieces, or ‘seeds’, as you can in your store. At the end of the game, the player with the most seeds in their store comes out victorious.

Is Mancala a game of luck or skill?
While some people associate Mancala as a game for little kids, there is actually quite a bit of skill involved. In fact, many people argue that there is practically no luck involved when it comes to playing Mancala. Instead, you have complete control over how you will do in the game.

Is Mancala an easy game?
Mancala is such a beloved game for two reasons – it is extremely easy to learn, but also takes a lot of skill to master. This means that if you just start playing against easy competition, it won’t take long for you to understand the game and start crushing it.

On the other hand, it takes real training and practice in order to beat a player who has played Mancala for years.

My pleasure, I hope you enjoy it 🙂

I meant that my six yr old just got a set.