Q. How old is the game and what are its origins?

A. The answer to this question remains much of a mystery. Many wooden boards, dating back to the 6th century AD, resembling boards from modern day Mancala have been found in places like Ghana and Angola. Some historians feel that Mancala had its origins in Asia and Africa.

They also feel that Mancala can be as old as 3000 years. Although, there are not many direct proofs that suggest the fact that Mancala is 3000 years old, yet, there are scriptures and wall paintings which do indicate towards that fact that the Mancala family of board games is indeed one of the oldest surviving board games in the world.

Q. Where is Mancala played?

A. Mancala is religiously followed in many parts of Africa and some parts of Asia. People living around the Nile river bed can be seen playing Mancala in their idle time, even today. Kalaha and Oware are two versions of the game that are quite popular in the US as well.

Some regions in the Mediterranean belt in Europe (Greece, Serbia etc.) are also said to have a profound liking for the game. On the whole, the game enjoys its presence in many parts of Africa (Ghana, Egypt, Angola) the most.

Q. Is playing Mancala difficult? Is learning it difficult?

A. Learning Mancala is a piece of cake and even small children find it very easy to grasp the rules. The rules are interesting and simple. Playing and excelling at the game can be difficult, though.

Another aspect wherein Mancala differs from other games is that it doesn’t require much of a practice, rather, presence of mind and foresightedness are the qualities that you would need to possess in order to be successful at Mancala.

Q. How many variants of Mancala are there?

A. There are scores of names and variants belonging to the Mancala family. In all, there are believed to be about 200 different versions of the game. Some of the most famous and most widely played games belonging to the Mancala family are Oware, Omweso, Bao, Kalaha and Congklak.

Q. What are the different kinds of boards that are used while playing Mancala games?

A. Thousands of types of boards are used today while playing Mancala. They not only vary in shapes and sizes, but they are also significantly disparate in the materials used in making them.

Designed as fish, boats, crocodiles and in oval shapes, Mancala boards of various shapes have been found out at various places in the world. Some of the most common materials that have been used for building these boards are clay, dung, wood, brass and even steel.

Q . Are there any online versions of the game?

A. Yes, in recent years, the game has started gaining popularity and many software/online versions of the game have been developed, keeping in mind the arithmetic and competitive nature of the game.