Sowing · rules · components · playable model

Kalah

A mancala-family game built around distributing stones, planning where the final stone lands, earning extra turns, and timing captures.

Model focus

The last stone determines the consequence of a move, so counting forward is the central planning action.

sowingcountingcaptureextra turnscollection
Players2
Time10–20 min
Weightlight
Rules

How does this ruleset work?

Collect more stones in your store than the other player collects in theirs.

Mancala names a large family of games. This page specifically models six-pit Kalah with four stones per pit.

01

Set up

  1. 1Orient the board so each player controls the six pits nearest them and the store on their right.
  2. 2Place four stones in each ordinary pit. Leave both stores empty.
02

Take a turn

  1. 1Choose one nonempty pit on your side, remove all its stones, and sow them one at a time into following spaces.
  2. 2Include your own store while sowing, but skip the opponent's store.
  3. 3If the last stone lands in your store, take another turn.
  4. 4If the last stone lands in an empty pit on your side and the opposite pit holds stones, move both the last stone and the opposite stones into your store.
03

End the game

  1. 1The game ends when all six pits on either player's side are empty.
  2. 2Move every stone remaining on the other side into that player's store.
  3. 3The player with more stones in their store wins; equal totals produce a draw.
Component inventory

What is in the box?

Component packaging varies by edition and manufacturer. This inventory lists the functional pieces required by the modeled ruleset.

× 1
Kalah board

Provides two rows of six pits and one scoring store for each player.

× 48
Stones or seeds

Starts four pieces in each of the twelve ordinary pits.

Playable rules model

Simulate the game locally.

This is a same-device two-player model. It enforces legal placement, captures, turn changes, win conditions, and other rules described above.

table state

South begins. Choose a nonempty pit.

Northstore ← row → storeSouth
0
0

North's row is shown from right to left so opposite pits align vertically.