Abapa is the traditional variant of Oware played by adults and used in official competitions. We’ll refer to the game as Oware or Oware Abapa interchangeably.
We suggest getting familiar with Mancala first, a very similar game but with simpler rules and dynamics.
How to play Oware Abapa
Set up
Players
Oware Abapa is a 1 vs. 1 game, so two players are required.
What you need to play
The game is played with a special board on which there are holes (or cups) through which the game pieces move.
Forty-eight small pieces are used to simulate seeds to be sown in the 12 small holes, which in Oware are usually called “houses”.
The two large holes are used to store the captured seeds but unlike the Mancala they are not part of the game dynamics.
Discovering the Oware-Abapa board
Yes, the board for this game can be perplexing. We’ll explain everything you need to know next.
Each player is associated with one of the groups of 6 houses:
If there are large holes on the board, each player will use the hole on his right to store the captured seeds.
Initial position of the pieces
Four pieces are placed in each of the 12 houses.
Movement of the pieces
During a game of Oware the seeds are circulating in a counterclockwise direction. Certain configurations allow you to make captures, seeds that each player will earn. We’ll explain how shortly.
Who’s first?
It’s played in turns. The player with less experience playing Oware starts.
Goal of the game
What do you need to do to win?
The first player to capture 25 seeds wins. How are seeds captured? We’ll explain it next.
“Oware Abapa” rules: playing a game
Let’s get started!
The player whose turn it is must choose one of their houses containing at least one seed. He takes the seeds and leaves them one by one in a counterclockwise direction (to the right) from the next house and until there are no pieces left in his hand. The large holes are not used.
Let’s see an example. Let’s assume that the red player has the turn and chooses the house with the red colored pieces.
This is how the pieces would look like after their movement:
IMPORTANT: If at any point during the game, 11 seeds or more are captured, when reaching the house from which the seeds were taken, we must skip it so that it remains empty.
Rule 1 – Capture of pieces
If the house where the last seed falls belongs to the opposing player and there are 2 or 3 seeds left in it (counting the one just left) then a capture occurs.
What seeds are captured? Always those that are in the house where the last seed fell, and also, if there are 2 or 3 seeds in the previous house, those are captured too, and if there are also 2 or 3 seeds in the house before that, those are captured too! and so on until at most all the opponent’s houses. Let’s see two examples:
Example 1:
In this example, the red player selects the house with 9 red-colored seeds.
This is how the pieces would look like after their movement:
The last seed is in a house with 3 seeds but as it belongs to the player who has the turn there is no capture.
Example 2:
In this other example the red player chooses the house that has the 5 red colored seeds.
This is how the seeds would look after the movement:
The house in which the last seed has fallen belongs to the opposing player and as there are 3 seeds in it, these will be captured.
The previous house has 2 seeds, so they will also be captured:
The previous one contains 4 seeds so those can no longer be captured.
The player saves the captured seeds in his point hole.
Rule 2 – No swapping allowed
Once the pieces have been taken from a hole, it is mandatory to play with them. It is not allowed to change the play in the middle of the game.
Rule 3 – Capture cancelled!
It is not allowed to leave the opponent without seeds. This means that if a move results in a multiple capture leaving the opponent with no seeds… the capture is cancelled, and the player must choose another house to start their turn
Rule 4 – Game over
If it is not possible to make a move that leaves the opponent with any seeds then the player who has the turn captures all the seeds in his houses and the game ends.
Next turns
Players will alternate turns following the dynamics and rules explained above.
Game over – And the winner is…
And the winner is…
If a player reaches 25 seeds he becomes the winner.
If the game ends because it is impossible to leave seeds in the opponent’s area, the player who has captured the most seeds at that moment wins.
If there are few pieces left on the board and all that will happen is that the players keep going around in circles without any consequence, then it’s agreed to stop the game. Each player captures the seeds on their side, and whoever has more seeds in total wins.
There is also the possibility of ending in a tie 24 to 24!
Tips for playing Oware Abapa
Limiting time per turn
If a player takes too long to make a move, it’s a good idea to agree on a time limit per turn. If you overshoot that time, you lose your turn.
How to create a home-made version of Mancala
The pieces
An infinite number of small objects can be used as parts: pebbles, marbles, chickpeas, beans, small coins, buttons, small seashells…
All you have to take into account is that they are easy to handle, that they can fit up to 10 pieces in the same hole and that 48 pieces are needed!
Small holes
Coffee cups, egg cups, small bowls… can be used as small holes.
You can also draw some circles on a large piece of paper and even, if you are in the street, dig the holes in the sand.
The stores
A bowl, a glass, a plate, a small box… can be used for storage. The power of imagination!
Buying guide and tips
For a better playing experience we recommend purchasing a Mancala board.
Especially if you have already tried the game, liked it, and know that you will play it many times.
Aspects to be considered
There is no such thing as “the best Mancala” because not everyone has the same needs, nor the same expectations, nor will we all use the game in the same way.
Everyone must find “their best product” taking into account these variables:
1 – Playing comfort
The size of the holes and the size of the pieces must be coherent and proportional to each other so that taking the pieces when a hole is full does not become an odyssey, the pieces fall out or end up in other holes. For us it is the most important aspect to take into account because the playing experience will be uncomfortable if only 5 or 6 pieces fit in a hole. Please keep this in mind.
2 – Resistance and quality of materials
The Mancala board can be made of wood or plastic of different qualities. And there is even more variety when we talk about the pieces that can be made of wood, glass, stone, minerals, plastic…
Depending on the use we are going to give to the game – it will not be the same to play occasionally once or twice a year than to play regularly every week – we will have to acquire a product that is presumed to be more or less resistant to use.
On the other hand, we will have to evaluate if a simple plastic mancala is enough for us or if we want one made of noble wood that is also carved and decorated as if it were the throne of a king because in that sense there are for all tastes and for all pockets.
3 – Space it takes up
The larger the Mancala board, the more comfortable it is to play. But do not forget that it will have to be stored somewhere afterwards. We must take into account the storage space available when choosing a larger or smaller model, folding or non-folding.
4 – Portability
If we plan to take our Mancala out for a walk, perhaps to play at a family member’s house, or to challenge a friend in a bar, or as a travel companion to liven up the waiting hours at an airport, we will have to consider buying a Mancala that is light and easily transportable.
Where to buy a Mancala
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You will find Mancalas in specialized board game stores, although the best prices and discounts are usually on Amazon.
We recommend the best ones below:
Simple and portable mancala
This is the “classic” Mancala, the one that never fails. A wooden board that folds shut like a hinged box: you store the pieces inside and take it wherever you want, just as good at home as tucked into a suitcase.
Mancala Zuniplex
- Folding wooden board with hinge: closes like a box and stores the pieces inside.
- Includes 48 coloured pieces.
Mancala DE LUXE
It is a board made from a single piece of solid wood (44 cm), carved with motifs that recall the game’s origins and —what we like most— with real quartz stones, no plastic or resin: one of the few that come with natural stone. That said, it is not the most portable: it weighs a fair bit and doesn’t fold, so think of it more as the pretty Mancala for the shelf than a travel companion. And note, it is rather compact: the stones are small (about 10 mm), comfortable but nothing huge.
Yellow Mountain mancala board
- Solid wood, single carved piece · 44 × 11.5 × 2.5 cm.
- 48 coloured quartz pebbles (real stone, ~10 mm), not resin.
- For home: pretty and sturdy, but it doesn’t fold and isn’t for travel.
