Kalah (700)

Game Image 419cd83f96c8ac6b0196c8beed0c0071_thb.jpg 🔎
Playtime: 10
Min. Age: 5
Players: 2
Publisher: DeAgostini, Geoludie, Profound, Square Root Games, The Canadian Group, Joker, Toy Place, Target, Joen, Planet Finska, Dujardin, Learningsmith, Dilemma Games, Queen Games, RCR Terry GmbH, Science4You, Yellow Mountain Imports, Mitra, Spin Master Ltd., Piet Hein & Skjøde, Fundex, SPM: Syarikat Permainan Malaysia, Creative Crafthouse, Piet Hein A/S, L. P. Septímio, Adrenaline Brush Ltd, Top-Game, danspil, Games & Graphics Inc., (Unknown), CHH Games, Origem, Wood Expressions, Brain Games Germany, Müller Ltd. & Co. KG, Starbucks Coffee Company, Carrom Art, Top-Toy, Spear's Games, Oficina do Aprendiz, Fratelli Fabbri Editori (Fabbri Editore), Bohemia, University Games, Plastolus Szarvas, Pelikan, Cayro, The Games, Whitman Golden Ltd., Parker Brothers, Goki, Alga, Maplegrove, Kontrell Industries, Domino-Verlag, Estrela, IKEA, Schylling, Intermón Oxfam, Fame Products, King International, Lazy Days (I), E. S. Lowe Company Inc., Juguetes del Puerto, Philos, Ludens Spirit, Woodstock Spiele, Elven Games, ASS Altenburger Spielkarten, Gemini-Games, Speedgame, Cardinal, Endless Games (I), Schmidt Spiele, Gener8 LLC, Plasticart, Noris Spiele, ABRA, Pressman Toy Corp., Great American Trading Company, Pavilion, Daddy-O Productions, Skor-Mor, Pin International, Brookstone, Melissa & Doug, Cylinder Games, (Public Domain), Monkey Pod Games, Lagoon Games, Jumbo, Tactic, Natural Wonders, Hartung-Spiele, Barnes & Noble, Ramsons, VEB Plastspielwaren Berlin, PICO PAO / Juegos de la Antigüedad, Holzinsel, Classic Games, WWF, Gerd Koch, Brio AB, Dal Negro, Worldwide Games, Inc.
Designers: William Julius Champion Jr.
Artists: Frank Gerwin
Mechanics: Mancala

The most common rule set in games sold commercially as Mancala is for this game of Kalah. Mancala is actually a whole family of games. Kalah was invented in 1940 by an American, William Champion Jr.. He started selling the game in 1944, patented the rules in the 1950's, and founded the Kalah Game Co. in 1958.

The game is played on a board of two rows, each consisting of six round pits. The rows have a large store at either end called the Kalah. A player owns the six pits closest to them and the Kalah on their right side.

The game is started with four (4) seeds in each pit. A player takes all the seeds from one of their pits, and then they are distributed one by one, counterclockwise, in the pits and the player's own Kalah, but not into the opponent's store (Kalah). If the last seed is dropped into an opponent's pit or a non-empty pit of the player, the move ends without anything being captured. If the last seed falls into the player's Kalah, they must move again. If the last seed is put into an empty pit owned by the player, they capture all contents of the opposite pit together with the capturing piece and puts them in their Kalah. If the opposite pit is empty, nothing is captured. A capture ends the move.

The game ends when one player no longer has any seeds in any of their holes. The remaining pieces are captured by their adversary. The player who has captured the most pieces is declared the winner.

Variants:

Beginners may start with 3 seeds in each pit, but the game can also be played with 5 or 6 seeds in each pit. William Champion Jr. recommended the expert game with 6 in each pit.

In the Philippines Version (called Sungka locally) the game is often played with small shells, there are 7 pits on each side as well as the Home and the game is started with 7 shells in each pit.



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ag.gameitem.lastUpdated: 2025-05-16 15:49:15.577