Play Mancala Against AI
How to Play Kalah Mancala
Kalah starts with six pits a side and four seeds in each pit. Tap one of your pits to sow counterclockwise. Finish in your store for another turn, or land in an empty pit of yours to capture the seeds opposite it. Choose an AI level, pick South or North, and play.
How a Game Begins
Each player has six pits and a store. South is the near row and sows first; North is the far row. On your turn, choose a non-empty pit on your own row. Seeds drop one by one into later pits and your store, but never into the opponent's store.
If your last seed lands in your store, you take another turn. If it lands in an empty pit on your row, that seed and the seeds opposite it go into your store. When either row is empty, the remaining seeds on the other side are scooped into its store, and the larger store wins. Hints match your AI level, and undo rewinds the AI reply too.
Count the Extra Turn First
Do not clear the pit beside your store just because it looks neat. First count whether the last seed reaches the store: another turn is often worth more than an early capture, and South can look for that line from move one.
An Empty Pit Can Capture
If your last seed lands in an empty pit on your row, that seed and the seeds opposite it go into your store. If the opposite pit is empty, you keep only the landing seed. Big captures feel good, but they are not always worth giving up an extra turn.
Hints Follow Your AI Level
Choose from multiple AI levels, then play as South to open or North to reply. Hints use the same level, and undo rewinds both your sow and the AI response. After the game, replay the turn when an extra move appeared or a capture flipped the count. All AI calculation stays in your browser.
6pits on each row
4seeds in each pit
Storegrants another turn
Mostseeds in store wins
Questions
Which version of mancala is this?
It's Kalah, the version most people learn first: six pits and one store per player, four seeds in every pit, 48 seeds in all. Oware and Congkak belong to the same family but sow and capture differently. This board plays Kalah only.
Which way do the seeds go, and do I drop one in my opponent's store?
Always counterclockwise, one seed per pit, starting with the pit after the one you picked. You drop a seed in your own store as you pass it and skip your opponent's, so you never feed their score by accident.
When do I get another turn?
Whenever your last seed lands in your own store. If the bonus move ends in the store too, you go again. That's why many players open as South with the third pit from the left: its four seeds finish exactly in the store.
How does a capture work?
Your last seed has to land in an empty pit on your own row. That seed and everything in the pit directly across go into your store. Landing in an empty pit on your opponent's side does nothing, and if the pit across is empty you only bank your one seed.
What happens when one side runs out of seeds?
The game ends as soon as either row is empty. Whoever still has seeds on their side moves them all into their own store, then the stores are counted. With 48 seeds in play, 24 each is a draw.
Does moving first as South give an advantage?
Yes. In Kalah the first player can take a bonus move straight away and usually keeps the initiative. For a fair match, play two games and swap sides. Against the AI, taking North for a while is a good way to practise defending.
Which AI level should I start with?
If you've just learned the rules, start at the lowest level and get comfortable with bonus moves and captures. Move up once you're winning there consistently. The higher levels plan chains of extra turns several moves ahead, and the replay shows where the setup began.
Is the hint always the best move?
No. The hint searches at the AI level you've selected, so on an easy level it shows what that level would play, not a perfect answer. Raise the level if you want sharper suggestions.
Why does undo take back two moves?
Against the AI, undo removes your last move and the reply that followed it, so you land back on your own turn without clicking twice.
Do I need to download anything or sign up? Does it work on a phone?
No download and no account. The game runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, and the AI does its thinking on your own device. You can also add the site to your home screen and open it like an app.
