|
Mancala 2000
is based on the ancient game Bao (known later as Mancala), first
played in East Africa. Mancala is played by many tribes throughout
Africa, most of whom play their own slightly different variation
and have their own special name for it such as: Wari,
Warri, Ware, Walle, Awari, Aware, Awaoley, Awele, Oware, Owari, or
Wouri.
Names of Mancala
games are generic referring to all Mancala games in a particular
region rather than a particular variant. These names include Bao,
Soro (Choro or Solo), Mangola, Gabata, Mulabalaba, Ayo and Sadeqa.
Of course these can refer to specific Mancala variants, too.
The best
known Mancala games are Ayo from Nigeria and Wari which is played
without much variation across West Africa and much of the greater
Caribbean area. There are several main
ways that Mancala games differ from one another. Most obviously
the number of rows on the board differentiates Mancala games into
three sorts - two rank, three rank and four rank Mancala.
Oware board,
from Ghana. Oware is an internationally popular two-rank
Mancala game.
This board, from the author's collection, was used in the first
"Mind Games Olympiad" in London, 1997.
In Uganda, they
play Omweso, a four-rank game of some skill. The Mancala board is
typical of a Ugandan board while the other board is more ornate
folding up to show a carved elephant and give a carrying handle.
The Mancala game pieces are Empiki seeds. These come from the
Omuyiki tree and are light but very hard.
The Sri Lankans
play a Mancala game called "Olinda Kaliya" which uses
Indian Style laps. The characteristic seeds used for the
game, bright scarlet with black tips, are from the Olinda bush.
|
Mancala Game Object: To collect the most
gemstones by the end of the game.
Note: The large pocket,
called the Mancala, to your right is yours.
Playing Mancala: One player starts the
game by clicking on the pile of gems that he wishes to start with.
He then places one in each pocket to the left. Include your Mancala
as a space as you place the stones in the pockets. If there are
enough stones to go past your Mancala, continue placing them into
your opponent's pockets. However, skip his Mancala when placing
stones. If your last stone ends up in your Mancala, you get to take
another turn. If the last stone you place ends in an empty pocket on
your side of the board, you get to take that stone. Plus you get to
take all of your opponent's stones that are in the opposite pocket
and place them in your own Mancala.
Winning The Mancala
Game:
The game ends when all six pockets on one side of the game board are
empty. The other player takes the remaining stones from his pockets
and places them in his Mancala. The player with the most gems
wins.
Free
Mancala Download
(Serial
Number required for some features.)
Purchase
Mancala 2000 for $4.95
- One Player vs.
Computer Mancala
game
- Four Difficulty
Levels
- Two
Player Mode
- Different Mancala Game
Graphic
Themes
- PC/MAC Cross-Platform Network
Play
-
Macintosh: OS X
-
Macintosh: OS 9
-
Windows: NT, 2000 and
XP
| The
list on the right are different names of the Mancala game
throughout the globe. No doubt they are variants on one
another. The game was developed from a method of accounting
stock such as grain in silos in some parts of world. |
Haiti - Qai
Indonesia - Congclak
Antigua - Warri
Angola - Mbau
Egypt - Mancala
Benin - Madji
Sri Lanka - Naranji
Congo - Mongola
Zanzibar - Kiarabu
Ghana - Aditoe
Philippines - Dakon
Syria - Makaleh
Sudan - Choro
Kenya - Guithi
Johore - Chongkak
Timbuktu - Wari
Burkino Faso - Ware
Ivory Coast - Awaoley
Nigeria - Ayo |
|
