MancalaBY: JUAN CHAVEZ

Origins

The origins of Mancala are in the Middle East.

Its name comes from the Arabic word naqala, meaning “to move”.

The game also has plenty of different names, depending on the region of the world you’re in.

How do we know it existed?

There are fossilized remains of game boards in some sands.

The game is also still played today.

This is how we know it existed.

Rules

The game is played with two players.

Each player takes turns moving stones around.

The object is to take more stones than your opponent.

Gameplay

The gameplay is actually very different across the world.

Different regions have different procedures for playing the game, so how you play the game is inconsistent.

Most mancala boards you can buy in stores have rulebooks explaining different regions’ rules.

Length

Mancala is usually a medium length game.

Some games can be very short, however.

Others may be very long.

Similarities to other Ancient Games

Mancala is actually not similar to any other ancient game.

Its objectives do not correlate with any other game of this time.

Game Board

The game has a board with rows, and the pieces are the stones.

The board is usually wooden.

The rows have pockets for the stones.