Mancala is one of the oldest board games in the world, known in Iran as Manghaleh. Each player has a row of six pits and a store. On your turn you scoop up the stones from one of your pits and sow them one by one into the pits that follow. It looks simple, but counting stones, chaining extra turns and setting up captures make it a game of careful calculation.
In Hamdor you can play Mancala online against real players, play a friend in a private room with a code, practise offline against a bot, or play two on one phone. Every move is animated stone by stone so you can follow exactly what happened.
How to play Mancala
- Pick up a pit of yours and sow its stones one by one counterclockwise, into your store but not your rival's.
- Ending in your store gives another turn. Ending in an empty pit of yours, with stones opposite, captures them all.
- When one side runs out, the game ends; most stones in store wins.
These are the exact rules Hamdor plays by; the app shows them too, under each game's How to play tab.
Mancala, the Kalah rules
- Six pits, four stones: each side has six pits with four stones in each at the start, 48 in all.
- Sow into your own store: stones are sown counterclockwise into your store too, but skip your rival's store.
- Extra turn: if your last stone lands in your store, you move again.
- Capture: if your last stone lands in an empty pit of yours and the pit opposite holds stones, you take them all, plus your own stone.
- End of the game: when one side runs out, the game ends and each side's remaining stones go to their owner's store. The first player is drawn at random.
Tips to win at Mancala
- Open with an extra turn. At the start, the pit four steps from your store holds exactly four stones; its last stone lands in your store and you go again.
- Chain your extra turns. Before each move, count which pits hold exactly as many stones as their distance to the store. Play the one nearest the store first so the others are not disturbed.
- Use your empty pits. An empty pit of yours facing a full one is a capture waiting to happen; look for a move that ends exactly there.
- Guard your big pits. If a full pit of yours faces an empty pit your rival can reach, play it or fill that empty pit.
- Remember 25. There are 48 stones in total, so 25 in your store is an unbeatable lead. Close to it, choose safe moves.
- Time the ending. When a side runs out, everyone keeps their own stones. If your pits hold more, a quick finish helps you; if theirs do, keep the game going and hunt for captures.
Mancala in Hamdor
- Online, ranked: play real opponents and earn a rating. If nobody turns up within a few seconds, a bot takes the seat and is labelled as a bot.
- Private rooms: create a room, send the code to your friends and chat with stickers and reactions while you play.
- Bots: play offline against bots, to practise or when nobody is online.
- Two on one phone: pass the phone and play face to face.
- Stats and streaks: your win rate, best winning streak and this game's leaderboard.
- Your own look: change how the table and pieces look in the Hamdor shop. It is cosmetic only and never affects who wins.
Mancala FAQ
Is Mancala the same as Kalah?
Mancala is a family of sowing games and Kalah is its best-known version. Hamdor plays Kalah: six pits a side, four stones per pit and one store per player.
When do I get an extra turn in Mancala?
Whenever the last stone you sow lands in your own store.
How do captures work?
If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side and the pit opposite has stones, those stones and your own go to your store.
Can I play Mancala offline?
Yes. Play a bot or a friend on the same phone without a connection. All Hamdor games are free.