Kalah

Quick Pitch

Kalah is a simplified mancala game with 12 pits (6 per side), 2 storage pits, and 48 seeds.

Equipment Needed

The Board

A Kalah board has:

• 12 playing pits in two parallel rows of 6
• 2 store pits (called "houses"), one at each end
• Access to both sides for sowing in a circular path

Improvising the Board

1. Egg carton version: Cut a standard egg carton horizontally into two 6-cell halves; place small bowls at each end for stores
2. Drawn board: Draw two rows of 6 circles on paper or cardboard; mark larger circles at the ends for stores
3. Sand holes: Dig 14 holes in soft earth (12 playing, 2 storage)
4. Wooden carving: Carve shallow pits in a wooden board

Pieces

• 48 pieces: 4 per pit initially
• Options: Seeds, pebbles, beads, buttons, or any 48 identical small objects

Setup

1. Place the board horizontally between the two players
2. One player (North) sits on one side; the other (South) sits opposite
3. Each player's store is to their right
4. Place 4 seeds in each of the 12 playing pits
5. Leave both stores empty
6. Determine who plays first

        North (Store)
    [6] [5] [4] [3] [2] [1]
    [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
    [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
    [7] [8] [9][10][11][12]
        South (Store)

Rules

Objective

Capture and store more seeds than your opponent. Whoever has more seeds in their store at game end wins.

Gameplay

Taking a Turn:

1. Choose any pit on your side containing seeds
2. Pick up all seeds from that pit (leave that pit empty)
3. Distribute seeds counterclockwise (toward your store), placing one seed in each successive pit
4. Continue sowing around the board, including both your store and the playing pits on your opponent's side
5. Skip opponent's store (don't place seeds there; just pass it)
6. If the last seed lands in your store, take another turn immediately
7. If the last seed lands in an empty pit on your side, capture as described below
8. Otherwise, play passes to your opponent

Capturing

When your last seed lands in an empty pit on your side:

1. Capture that seed
2. Capture all seeds in the directly opposite pit on your opponent's side
3. Place all captured seeds in your store

Example: Your last seed lands in the empty pit 3 (your side). If the opposite pit (opponent's pit 4) has 5 seeds, you capture those 5 seeds plus the one seed you just placed (6 total) and put them in your store.

Exception: If the opposite pit is empty, you capture only the single seed you just placed and place it in your store.

Game End

The game ends when one side of the board is completely empty. At that point:

1. The player with pieces remaining on their side captures all remaining pieces
2. Count total seeds in each player's store
3. The player with the most seeds wins