Mancala

Description of the Mancala Application

Mancala is an ancient board game that has been enjoyed for centuries across various cultures. This digital version of Mancala, known as two-rank Mancala or Kalah (also called Bantumi), brings the traditional gameplay to your fingertips. The game is played on a board with six small fields on each side and a larger store at the end of each row. Your goal is to collect more seeds in your own store than your opponent. The game offers a blend of strategy, planning, and a touch of luck, making it both challenging and rewarding.

The gameplay involves picking up all the seeds from one of your fields and distributing them one by one in a counter-clockwise direction. Each seed is placed in the next field, skipping the opponent's store. If you land on your own store, you place a seed there, but if you land on an empty field on your side, you can capture the seeds from that field and its opposite. If the last seed you drop lands in your store, you get an extra turn, giving you a strategic advantage. Additionally, when playing with 72 seeds, the "rule of the pie" comes into play: after the first move, the other player has the option to rotate the board, adding an extra layer of strategy. The game ends when all six fields on one side are empty, and the player with seeds remaining on their side captures those as well. The final score is determined by counting the seeds in each store, with the player having the most seeds declared the winner. Mancala is not just a game of skill, but also a journey through history and culture.