Question 1

Is Oware the same as Congklak?

Accepted Answer

They're both mancala games but play differently. Oware has no store pits and no relay sowing — each turn is a single lap around twelve houses, and captures happen when your last seed leaves an opponent's house holding exactly two or three seeds.

Question 2

How exactly does a capture work?

Accepted Answer

After sowing, look at the house where your last seed landed. If it's on your opponent's side and now holds two or three seeds, you capture it. Then check the house immediately before it in the sowing direction — if that's also an opponent's house with two or three seeds, capture that too, and keep working backward until one fails the test.

Question 3

What is the 'must feed' rule?

Accepted Answer

If your opponent has no seeds left anywhere on their side, you're required to make a move that gives them at least one seed, if such a move exists. You can't stall by only playing moves that keep their row empty.

Question 4

Can I capture my own houses?

Accepted Answer

No. Captures only ever take seeds from the opponent's row. A backward capture chain stops immediately if it reaches your own side of the board.

Question 5

How does the game end?

Accepted Answer

When a player can't be fed and has nothing left to sow, the game ends and the remaining seeds on the board go to whoever still has them. Whoever has captured the most seeds overall wins.

Oware

Sitting notes

Quick rules