Mancala BY: 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.