Gourt > Games > Video Games > Recreation > Board Games > Mancala
Mancala is a family of board games played around the world, sometimes called sowing games or count and capture games, which comes from the general gameplay. The games of this family best known in the Western world are Oware, Kalah, Sungka and Omweso, and Bao. Mancala games play a role in many African and some Asian societies comparable to that of chess in the West.
Names
People unfamiliar with mancala games commonly assume there is a particular game with the name Mancala. This perception is helped by marketing which often fails to differentiate variations or gives names like "Ethiopian" or "Nigerian". Although these countries traditionally play the game, there exist several different ways of playing it even within those cultures. As such, these names are not wholly descriptive. Even names which are rightly associated with certain games, such as "Awari", are frequently lifted and applied to different games.
In fact, the name mancala is the Arab name commonly given to some games of this type; the word comes from the Arabic word naqala (literally "to move"). This word is used at least in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, but is not consistently applied to any one game. In the Western world, "mancala" is often seen used as a generic name for the game "kalah". Research in English refers to "games in the mancala family" or "mancala games", rather than "mancala variants" which would imply there is one main mancala game on which the others are based.
More on [ Mancala ]
in homeroom, FINALLY beat jasmine in mancala! hah, and ms. hawk is actually wearing different pants today, and they're effing purple. xD
heyjayx (James Currie) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:33:44 -0000
in homeroom, FINALLY beat jasmine in mancala! hah, and ms. hawk is actually wearing different pants today, and they're effing purple. xD
@ButtaBlanco ughh I don't like those games brainchal n mancala r poppin
itzshadesha (Shadesha) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:07:12 -0000
@ButtaBlanco ughh I don't like those games brainchal n mancala r poppin
@JackyNoff there will be a mancala tournament in your honor
cynthiasheree (cynthia sheree) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:40:13 -0000
@JackyNoff there will be a mancala tournament in your honor
@cynthiasheree only if theres mancala
JackyNoff (Jacky) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:29:58 -0000
@cynthiasheree only if theres mancala
Id rather be playing mancala
JackyNoff (Jacky) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:24:06 -0000
Id rather be playing mancala
sister whooping me in mancala
Smoochzz (Nicole Flikd) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:46:06 -0000
sister whooping me in mancala
Kalaha - Features variations, animated moves, history, save/restore and network play. Freeware.
Meta Description: [ Mancala games may be the oldest board games that are being
played today. Some sources say that the game is more than 3000 years old. The
origin is unclear but it is assumed that the first games were played in Asia or
Africa. Some countries of origin are Egypt,ghana, dahomey, ivory coast, seneg... ]
Mancala 2000 - Traditional mancala board game.
Meta Description: [ Mancala is one of the oldest
two-player strategy games in the world. It has been played throughout
Asia and Africa for over 7,000 years. Download the free shareware version
today and play against a computer opponent. ]
Mancala games - Links to various Mancala sites.
Oware! the National Game of Africa - Freeware download of the game for DOS.
Meta Description: [ West African Mancala Freeware game & book - aka Awele, Wari, Awale ]
Owari bead game - A game in the Mancala class of games. Features rules, history, links, and download of version for Palm Pilot.
Meta Description: [ Count and capture game for Palm pilot ]
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