Mancala is a general name which applies to a group of very old Asian and African games in which stones or seeds were moved from cups on a game board or holes in the ground. Rules of play vary from region to region. A great counting game, Mancala requires strategy and patience. How to Play Mancala The object of the game is to collect as many stones as possible before your opponent clears all the tones on his or her side of the board. Each player sits facing the long side of the board. The six cups on your side, and the larger Mancala scoring cup on your right, belong to you. Place four stones in each non-scoring cup. Alternate turns. To take your turn, pick up all the stones from one cup on your side and place them one by one in the cups around the board, including your Mancala cup, in a clockwise direction. If the last stone is dropped into your Mancala, you can take another turn. If the last stone of your turn is dropped into an empty cup on your side, you may take all the stones from your opponent's cup directly opposite your empty cup. All the captured stones, and the stone you used to make capture, can be placed in your Mancala. The game ends when one player has no more stones on his or her side. The remaining player can deposit all the stones left on his or her side into his or her Mancala. The winner is the player with the most stones in his or her Mancala.