Mancala · History
One of the oldest games
“Mancala” is the family name for sowing games, in which seeds or stones are moved around rows of pits. The word is usually traced to an Arabic verb meaning “to move”. Boards cut into rock have been found across Africa and West Asia, and archaeological sites in East Africa have produced boards many centuries old.
Many names, many rules
Oware in West Africa, Bao in East Africa, Pallanguzhi in South India and Congkak in Southeast Asia all belong to the family, each with its own board and rules. They are played in markets and village shade by adults and children alike, and prized for training counting and memory.
Sungka of the Philippines
Our 3D board is a Philippine sungka board: a boat-shaped piece of wood with seven small pits per side and a large store at each end. Traditionally it is played with cowrie shells or pebbles, seven in each pit. It is a close cousin of Congkak in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Kalah and computers
In the United States the Kalah rules, set down in the mid-twentieth century, spread through schools and homes. With simple rules and no luck, Kalah became a favourite test for artificial intelligence; around 2000 computers proved that six-pit, four-seed Kalah is a first-player win with perfect play.