Which mancala rules are these?

Kalah: six pits a side, four seeds each, a store at each end, an extra turn for ending in your store, a capture for ending in an empty pit of yours. The seeds left when one side empties go to their owner.

Can I see where my seeds will land?

Yes — hover or long-press a pit and the path lights up, including whether it ends in your store or captures.

Yes. It looks a couple of moves ahead and knows the value of an extra turn.

Do I need an account?

No. Type a name and play — no signup, no download, nothing to install. Making an account is optional and only exists to keep your stats, nickname and preferences across devices.

Yes, all of it. Every game on Board Game Universe is free to play, with no premium tier holding anything back.

Can I play on my phone?

Yes. It runs in a mobile browser on phones and tablets as well as on a desktop — there is no app to download.

How do I play with my friends?

Start a table and send your friends the link. They open it, type a name, and sit down. Moves and table chat happen in real time.

Can I play against the computer?

Yes. Add a bot to any table and it plays a proper game — useful for filling a seat while you wait for a fourth.

Play Mancala Online Free with Friends

Mancala — the Kalah rules, six pits a side and four seeds in each — free online with a friend or against the house bot. Sow anticlockwise, land in your store for another turn, capture across the tray, and finish with the fuller store. The board shows where a sow would end before you commit. Real-time chat, no download, no signup.

2 players · ~10 min · free forever · Classic Board Games

How to play Mancala

Six pits a side with four seeds each, and a store at your right-hand end. Your pits are the row nearest you.
On your turn pick up all the seeds from one of your pits and sow them one at a time anticlockwise — into each pit in turn, into your own store as you pass it, but skipping your opponent's store.
If the last seed lands in your store, take another turn.
If the last seed lands in an empty pit on your side and the pit opposite has seeds, capture them all, plus your seed, into your store.
When either side runs out of seeds the game ends: the other player takes what is left on their side. The fuller store wins.

Mancala strategy

The basics that turn knowing the rules into winning games — what to do first, what to keep, what to avoid.

Look for a pit that lands its last seed in your store: it is a free extra turn, and chains of them win games. The table shows the preview when you hover.
A capture (last seed into your own empty pit opposite a full one) can be worth a dozen seeds — set them up and watch for your opponent's.
Keep seeds on your side late in the game: when one side empties, the other player keeps everything left on theirs.
Empty your pits from the store end back when you can — the pit nearest your store is the one most likely to give extra turns.
Do not leave a big pile opposite an empty pit of your opponent's that they can reach.

Mancala FAQ

Which mancala rules are these?: Kalah: six pits a side, four seeds each, a store at each end, an extra turn for ending in your store, a capture for ending in an empty pit of yours. The seeds left when one side empties go to their owner.
Can I see where my seeds will land?: Yes — hover or long-press a pit and the path lights up, including whether it ends in your store or captures.
Is there a bot?: Yes. It looks a couple of moves ahead and knows the value of an extra turn.
Do I need an account?: No. Type a name and play — no signup, no download, nothing to install. Making an account is optional and only exists to keep your stats, nickname and preferences across devices.
Is it really free?: Yes, all of it. Every game on Board Game Universe is free to play, with no premium tier holding anything back.
Can I play on my phone?: Yes. It runs in a mobile browser on phones and tablets as well as on a desktop — there is no app to download.
How do I play with my friends?: Start a table and send your friends the link. They open it, type a name, and sit down. Moves and table chat happen in real time.
Can I play against the computer?: Yes. Add a bot to any table and it plays a proper game — useful for filling a seat while you wait for a fourth.