Edition: Standard Mancala as sold in the US, known as Kalah, and called Kalaha in Denmark. Last checked October 25, 2026
Mancala Rules: How to Play Mancala (Kalah)
Mancala is an ancient game where you move stones around the board and try to collect the most in your own store. The version most families play is called Kalah. It is easy to learn and great for kids and grown-ups alike. Here are the rules and answers to the things people often disagree about.
- Players
- 2
- Age
- 5 and up
- Playing time
- 10 to 20 minutes
How to win: The player with the most stones in their store when the game ends wins.
Who is right?
The classic arguments at the table when you play Mancala (Kalah).
Do you capture if the pit across from you is empty?
No, in the standard version.
You only capture when your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side and there are stones directly across. If the pit across is empty, nothing happens and your stone stays put.
Some families still let the last stone go into your store even when there was nothing to capture.
Who gets the stones left on the board when the game ends?
Whoever has them on their side.
When one player's pits are empty, the other player takes the rest of the stones on their own side and puts them in their store.
In one well known variant, the player who ran out gets all the remaining stones. In another, they do not count at all. Agree before you start.
Can you get several extra turns in a row?
Yes.
Every time your last stone lands in your own store, you take another turn. There is no limit to how many times it can happen.
Some families with young kids allow only one extra turn at a time to keep the game even.
Do you drop a stone in your opponent's store?
No.
When sowing, you always skip your opponent's store. Only your own store gets stones.
It is rare, but some play that both stores get a stone. It changes the game a lot.
Does a capture count if you went all the way around the board?
Yes.
If a pit has so many stones that you go all the way around, and the last stone lands in an empty pit on your side, the capture rule applies as usual. You also drop a stone in the pit you started from when you pass it.
Some skip the starting pit when going around, as in other mancala games. That is not standard Kalah.
What you need
- A mancala board with 2 rows of 6 pits and a large pit, called the store or mancala, at each end
- Stones, marbles or beans, usually 4 per pit
Setup
- 1Sit across from each other with the board lengthwise between you.
- 2The 6 pits closest to you are yours. Your store is the large pit on your right.
- 3Put the same number of stones in each of the 12 small pits. Most play with 4.
- 4Both stores start empty.
How to play
- 1Decide who goes first. After that, take turns.
- 2Pick up all the stones from one of your own pits.
- 3Drop them one by one into the following pits, moving counterclockwise, including your own store.
- 4Skip your opponent's store when sowing.
- 5If your last stone lands in your own store, you get another turn.
- 6If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side and there are stones in the pit directly across, you capture them. Put the captured stones and your last stone in your store.
- 7The game ends when one player has no stones left in their 6 pits.
- 8The other player then puts all the stones left on their side into their own store.
- 9Count the stones in the stores. Most stones wins.
House rules
Pick the rules you want to play with tonight. Everyone at the table has to agree.
Our Mancala (Kalah) rules for tonight
Everything else follows the official rules.
Frequently asked questions
How many stones go in each pit in Mancala?
The most common version uses 4 stones in each of the 12 pits. Some play with 6 in each, which makes a longer game. The main thing is that every pit starts with the same number.
Which way do you move in Mancala?
Usually counterclockwise. The stones travel from your pits toward your store on your right and then over to your opponent's side.
Is Kalah the same as Mancala?
Mancala is the name for a large family of games with pits and stones. Kalah is the version most American families know as Mancala, and in Denmark it is called Kalaha.
Source: The widely used rules for Kalah and common Danish family tradition. The rules are written in our own words. Ask the referee if you are unsure.