How to Play Mancala

[@ModernRogue]

Free giveaway! Sign up at gimme.scamstuff.com, no purchase necessary, giveaway ends 2024-06-27. Win one of 2 Zener Decks! ( www.scamstuff.com/products/zener-esp-deck ) Winners will be contacted via email within the next two weeks. Giveaways are updated weekly, so keep an eye out for each week's new item! Anything from our store might show up, from gift cards (ScamCash!) to the newest puzzle boxes!

[@TheCorruptionKing]

4:50 Did, , , did you forget to take his seeds? you landed on an empty and he had seeds on the other side

[@orenmontgomery8250]

2:21 Do you guys REALLY know what "counter clockwise" means? 🤔

[@orenmontgomery8250]

​​@TheCorruptionKing good catch. 12:12 camera guys caught 'em this time. 12:44 But... he TOLD you he was going to take it. MOVE IT!😮

[@rafaelcosta2723]

Mancala is not a specific game but rather a family of african games that use seeds and pits. The one you are playing is actually called kalah, and it is an adaptation of those games that a Yale student came up with in the 40s (so this is not a "real" mancala in the sense that it is not a traditional african game). If you want to check out one of the original games, you should try oware (also known as awale or awele, and this game is not only more traditional, but it is also mathematically more interesting because it doesn't have a first player advantage like kalah does). There are also some games that are much more complex, like bao, which involve even more strategy.

[@davidyi8559]

Didn't actually know that! Awesome information to learn!

[@WDCallahan]

I was just coming to say this. Looks like an awale board to me. Which is a much simpler game, too. This thing they're doing is new to me and seems complicated.

[@jonnyWisconsin]

I was taught the oware game in college by a friend from the ivory coast. I think it's a much better game then what they are playing here

[@jaxman682]

12:32 I like how Ryer points it out, Bryan acknowledges there's something there... Doesn't realize what exactly that something is though, and willingly hands Ryer the final nail to his own coffin lol

[@nobody8717]

I used to play this as a child. in the early 90s. and now i've become this thing.

[@jeffmaesar]

an other ancient game that could be insteresting to play : Royal Game of Ur

[@AlsoAStranger]

I discovered that game thanks to Tom Scott and it's incredible

[@georgeprout42]

​@@AlsoAStrangerbut any video about Ur without Irving Finkle wouldn't be worth watching.

[@AlsoAStranger]

@@georgeprout42 Truer words never spoken Love that man

[@ryanmerlino4928]

It is actually a really fun and rather easy to learn game.

[@ogi22]

@@georgeprout42 Because of them I want to make my own board 😊

[@johnsmith9578]

Me and my great grandmother loved to play mancala. We have a wooden board that we have had in our family for around 3 centuries. I still sometimes play it with my family during Christmas

[@Felttipfuzzywuzzyflyguy]

That's awesome!

[@jincyquones]

In 3rd grade (circa late 90s), my teacher had a few mancala sets, and whenever we had any free time, that's what we would choose to play, for some reason. I think we got pretty friggin' good after awhile. I never played the game ever again or have even been reminded of its existence until now.

[@luismartins1150]

The first time I learned about Mancala was playing Club Penguin 😅 I remember really like the at firsr and then playing on my phone. Haven’t thought about it in years

[@OurHeroXero]

4:48 Wouldn't Brian be able to take all the seeds in his opponents pit with this move? Since the last seed landed in an empty space on his side of the board?

[@ItsBugtronic]

Sure would they totally missed it.

[@TheMatthooks]

Often happens when learning a new game that a rule is missed, but yes. You're right.

[@iiGingiey]

​@@TheMatthooksthe funny part, he mentions that rule like 30 seconds earlier.

[@tonyrulez69]

@@TheMatthooks But even during editing it was missed.

[@TestarossaF110]

this is waaaaayyyy more interesting and fun that i thought it to be, hahah! wow

[@trampasbuchanan7191]

The version we played in the 90s when the game was over all the other ones went to the side that cleared out

[@SeriosSkies92]

our game nights usually devolve into mini mancala tournaments. its mad competitive and addicting

[@aettic]

Also, yay! Another classic game video! These are always some of my favorites. I once binged all the videos y'all did on card games and whatnot.

[@FellVoice]

Probably the best Mancala video I've seen, lots of examples of play.

[@KarstenJohansson]

This made my day. We have an old carved wood mancala board. It's so old that even though the wood is thick, it is slightly warped from aging, yet still folds absolutely flawlessly. But we've never actually played the game because my partner didn't remember how to play it, and I'm lazy and never found out. I'm gonna watch this and work out the game, and finally that mancala board will be played! w00t!

[@TheChronova]

people who played club penguin: i am 4 parallel universes ahead of you

[@samuelgunter]

as someone who played years of club penguin, I've forgotten the rules of mancala, especially the "when your side is clear, your opponent gets all the stones on their side"

[@TheMatthooks]

At 4:56. Brian lands in an empty square. He should have scored the one in his empty square plus all the pits from the square opposite.

[@DaveTheCaveSecondChannel]

Scam school!! Duhh duhh🎶 Scam school

[@AlsoAStranger]

I ADORE Mancala! It's genuinely one of my favorite tabletop games It's so simple yet so fun every time, and those are genuinely the best kind of games The version of Mancala I have has a just a couple of minor differences: - The "Stores" are called Mancalas - Ending on your own pit when the opponent has no stones on their side, you still capture, which means you just gain a free stone - When the game ends, the stone on the pits don't get added to your score, it's just what's safe in the Mancalas. This does make a difference in case the player who empties their field was currently winning but because the opponent had a ton of stone, they collect them and win the game instead (as seen in 15:43) I think it's better this way, because the opponent can do nothing to move the stones away from your field. But if instead only the Mancals are counted, you are FORCED to move them and not hoard them

[@thejackscraft3472]

very possibly, though there is a lot of active play you can do against slowplay plans like Brian used in the last game. specifically things like leaving your 6 pit alone, scoring a bunch of your other stones, then moving your 6 pit and either slowplaying in counter, or threatening to capture their large stacks, forcing them to use them.

[@tauntdragoon]

yeah that sound different then the version i learned in the 90's we played it was the first to empty side ended the game and you only got what you had in the store but when you ended on a pit on your side you picked up everything in that pit and continued but if you ended in the store you just got an extra turn

[@GrilloXGaming]

Got introduced to it in Club Penguin, and have tried my best to teach it to as many friends as possible, it's the best of simple games

[@bozo6049]

I've been playing Mancala for YEARS. Glad this game is getting more attention

[@syamsuladdenno6715]

In my country this is called Congkak.. very fun game and with right people and right setting, friend become foe, family member kill each other.. such a fun game…

[@XegaK]

Came here to say this. Dulu selalu main kat sekolah, budak-budak skrg rasanya tak tahu congkak tu apa

[@Felttipfuzzywuzzyflyguy]

How does this channel not have more views per video? Seriously such a fun watch no matter the topic.

[@ModernRogue]

We've always been hot and cold on views. Our secret power is that we just keep showing up. -Brian

[@ozmainthedark]

I learned about this game from playing Quest for Glory 3 in the 90s. Is a cool game.

[@Jaeler9]

Ah the memories this game brings back. It was one of my road trip games and I have been outlawed from playing it any more. Bummer.

[@shadowtony8]

I said something negative when I thought Modern Rogue was at a bad place, so I think it's only fair that I say something positive now that I'm enjoying what the channel is doing. I love Ryer as the new co-host. He gives it the fun, happy energy that I felt was missing. I'm also glad that the "learning new skills" type of videos are back. I think those and the crafts videos are where the hosts (and guests when you have them) shine more.

[@Ken-gu3yy]

When they said the game was from a few thousand years in the past I got escited. Turns out this is that one game every aunt and uncle from my country knows how to play from their childhood. This is called Sunka in the Philippines.

[@DWilliams-sf5th]

We played this when I was a kid. We called it Rocks

[@TheFigandro]

First game: 13:03 - Ryer can capture here in his pit 4 Second game: 15:36 - Ryer should have put one piece in the store and the other on Brian's pit to end the game (In the end it's not a huge deal because Brian would have won anyway) All around good games with minimal mistakes fellas, keep up the good work.

[@banerifthammer4608]

Love it will be pulling that out next board game night

[@aettic]

I played this game a ton as a kid, we had a little wooden board with colored beads, sort of that weird shape you get when you just blob melted glass on a flat surface, so the bottoms were flat but the top was a dome.

[@browneyedotter1010]

My extended care teacher in middle and elementary used to show kids how to play mancala, we'd all play all the time

[@zenzuken]

I'm literally playing this with my daughter as this video posted. It was very oddly timed 😂

[@bear_trap107]

I'd love to see an hours long video or series of Brian and Jason playing D&D with the crew.

[@legosimbot]

Too bad he's gone :(

[@CaitofFate]

Mancala is a type of game called "pits and pebbles" other notable game like it are oware and awere. Oware is my fave of the three so far

[@idogtv]

Huh, the way I always grew up playing Mancala, if the last piece landed in an empty pit on our side and the opponent had seeds in the other pit, we moved those seeds into our own pit but we did _not_ move them into our Mancala; instead, they would be playable again. I'm glad I'm not too crazy though because I found other sources online that also do it this way. I guess this game has a lot of variations anyway.

[@ZachWalz]

I grew up with a version of this game called Oh-Wah-Ree, which could be played with up to 4 players.

[@nopelindoputraperkasa5869]

Nice sharing Vidio 🇮🇩❤

[@WoahItsWoozy]

idea for mancala: instead of shells use shots of an alcohol of choice, each shot being consumed when it goes to your “home,” most shots drank or last player standing wins

[@Purriah]

That’s a horrible idea, man. How could you finish one game before alcohol poisoning?

[@WoahItsWoozy]

@@Purriah three ways, be a gentleman and bow out, be a warrior and tank it, or be a scoundrel and cheat it. A very modern rogue game, although it may need more bizarre cocktails, fire hazards and jank to it lol

[@catdadproblems]

Wow. I actually learned that I wasn't taught how to play mancala correctly!

[@ShAdoWj1995]

I love mancala, I still have a board somewhere.

[@zooftra]

Did everyone miss how Brian should have captured? around 4:52?

[@justliviniguess2493]

Thought i was trippin for a sec when i noticed, glad it wasn’t just me😂

[@BrandtHughes]

Totally, no idea how I missed that while making the overlay. 😅

[@lunxr_egg]

Any game you can start by looking your opponent in the eyes and carving the board into the table with a knife is a recipe for success ✨

[@CHR1S1S3M0]

holy shit yall finally played my favorite game

[@MrGhjkl63]

I member playing Mancala back on Club Penguin

[@ftlPhysicsGuy]

My first computer was an Apple IIe. I think I was in 6th grade. Now I feel old.

[@zeekutartheimmortal]

look for the baby inchworm on tiny Brian's hand during the end of video ad :)

[@ReDJstone]

4:51 Brian should have pocketed the seeds from his empty slot and the opposite one.

[@kabukaze]

Hey this was one my childhood game. In my country its called Congkak :D

[@kkay000]

I haven't watched modern rogue in a while but mancala.. . mmmmm mancala

[@robprupe]

It would be really cool to see that basic listing. Does anyone know where to find it?

[@Nooblivious]

4:50 you guys made a mistake. you would have captured his pieces there. edit; I just noticed the next one at 6:30 lol learning round lol

[@carriemaynard2714]

Really loving Ryer! ❤

[@reggiep75]

Typing games in BASIC!? Everything that someone needs to do to experience the achievement.

[@stevenwagner983]

cool,thanks I USED to know how to play this

[@kakkilakoomi9433]

his parents fuckin hit the nail right on the head when they named that guy. that's for sure ryer corbat appeldoorn

[@Kavsaerin]

at 4:53, Brian should have captured the 5 on Ryer's side of the board and his 1 seed! AHHHH

[@ModernRogue]

Yeah... that's the bummer of learning onscreen.!

[@tonyrulez69]

I like how at 4:48 it was totally missed even during editing and animating the point table 😁

[@FusionDeveloper]

Welcome back

[@zombastyn]

the sponsored section doesn't have to go that hard

[@Vp_Baconbits]

y'all should do a video on now how to play baccarat

[@thelastchannelonyoutube]

I’ve played this game so much it’s not fun for me anymore because if you have two people playing the most optimal strategies possible (and there’s no reason to play otherwise), then the game will basically turn out the same everytime.

[@Kazutoification]

4:53 Brian landed in an empty zone, was he allowed to collect there? 5:47 Wouldn't the more optimal play be to move the 4, and then collect 10 across from it?

[@chas123451]

That ending killed me

[@joshusthegreat]

Damn... We waited for 3½ weeks for a new video and this is what we get.... A game that basically everyone already knows how to play, great job guys.

[@BrandtHughes]

What's the sample size of the survey you're citing that claims that everybody knows how to play this game? I've heard similar complaints on a lot of our other videos and unless I'm just totally off base here, it seems like people really like to assume that they have a universally-shared life experience despite reality not being so convenient.

[@joshusthegreat]

It's not just based on my own personal experience. Mancala is a very popular game, that's been included on many computers and in game collections. It is also highly popular among elementary schools. If you read through the other comments on this video, you'll find a lot of people mentioning they learned the game as a kid. I also know that there's a lot of people that have been disappointed in the quality of content on this channel for months now. The website hasn't even been updated since October of last year. It's sad because we love The Modern Rogue. I know you all have been going through major changes and I sincerely hope you are able to find a way forward that works for you, but also honors the original tenets of the channel. Would you rather your viewers not be honest with you?

[@BrandtHughes]

@@joshusthegreat "Would you rather your viewers not be honest with you?" You know this wasn't asked in good faith, c'mon man. Rest is fine though. To be clear, I didn't ask where you got the "everybody already knows this" info from to discount your concern; I asked it because I guarantee same of your favorite videos from us have had people say the same thing. We have always gotten that critique. You're making some assumptions because not everybody plays games on computer or game collections, it's not in every elementary school. I had never learned this before we made the video, so do I not deserve to learn it? This was something I struggled with a little while back when we made our Polybius video. We made that after Retro Ahoy made what could be argued is the definitive investigation into the history of that topic and it feels like everybody interested in the topic would have seen it, so why cover it at all? But plenty of folks saw our video that never would have seen his. We do a disservice to people who live differently than us, who know different things than we do, by dismissing a topic as "nah, everybody knows this" -- because everybody doesn't. Guaranteed, on every topic. This way of thinking intimidates curiosity out of people and engenders ignorance because folks won't want to admit they don't know something "everybody else knows." It's a subject that legitimately means a lot to me. We've been keeping up with ~2 videos per month for the past half year, this month is no exception. I don't work on the website so you'll have to hit up someone else about that.

[@joshusthegreat]

@@BrandtHughes I asked that because I think people could look at our initial interaction and think twice about leaving their opinion. Then again, maybe that's a good thing. If I had waited and really thought about it, I wouldn't have posted my original comment in the first place. It was out of character for me, and I apologize. I had to reflect on your statement about intimidating curiosity and engendering ignorance. You make great points, and you're clearly passionate. By the way, I loved the video on Polybius, and admittedly, I had not seen Retro Ahoy's video beforehand. As for the website, it would be nice to see a quick update, now and then. Even if it was just, "Check out this article/video we did 5 years ago." I understand that's not your area, so I will inquire through the proper channels, and maybe you could pass it along? I appreciate that you took the time to have this dialogue. I look forward to seeing what the future brings for you and The Modern Rogue.

[@BrandtHughes]

@@joshusthegreat Really thoughtful response. Thank you for your candor, it's clear that it comes from a place of caring and I appreciate you.

[@WDCallahan]

I usually make this board out of an egg carton and some dried beans. But I've never played this game on this board. I play awale.

[@trickyjrmjrm5252]

I played a wildly different version growing up 😂

[@nikman2]

cologne next?

[@Titanlord10000]

Who else is starting to become fond of Ryer? 😊

[@LeonardChurch33]

I still miss Jason but Ryer is also great

[@aettic]

Honestly I've liked him since basically the beginning.

[@demonking86420]

First time I'm seeing him and he seems fun

[@upinarms79]

He's fine, anyone is fine so long as the subject matter is good.

[@bustersplaybox]

i doubt you'll see this. but im loving Ryer.

[@EvilMastermind]

At 4:53 - Shouldn't Brian have taken the 5 points from the opposite side of the board? He ended his turn on an empty space.

[@Larper64]

4:57 You missed a capture. After your move, since your move ended on an empty row, you would have taken his 5 and your 1 at that point.

[@deepkhamaru]

Now that is good MR video! Not Making Mead or Modding Nerf good. But good nonetheless!

[@naolmstead]

I actually found myself wondering how this game is actually played when I saw it in the board game section of Target just the a few days ago.

[@friedbaloniTV]

Oh how the mancaller has become the manculled

[@jackofalltradesblacksmithi8467]

I always thought when you put ur last peice down you could pick up that pile and continue

[@sacepums20]

Old Nokia phones had this game and it was called Bantumi. Didn't know the rules. Just pressed thing😂 Now i'm 31 and i know what to do😅

[@Luckragol]

seems simple enough, now to make a game app of it and skin it with everything people with loose cash tend to enjoy these days. low price, but peel that money with luxurypacks, dlcs n shit.

[@chrisbuchanan9146]

Bring me on and I can teach you all kinds of classic and ancient board/card/dice games

[@TheDutchMagicTeacher]

I'm actually really interested in ancient games, I've even kept a small list, what are some games that I don't yet know? The ones I know are: Mehen Royal game of ur Senet Hounds and jackals Nine/three men's Morris Tafl Ludus Latrunculorum Patolli Liubo Chaupar

[@chrisbuchanan9146]

@@TheDutchMagicTeacher do you know backgammon? I believe it's roughly 6000 years old

[@TheDutchMagicTeacher]

@@chrisbuchanan9146 yes, i know that one. it is still very popular, i am looking for more obscure games

[@jamesaditya5254]

OK, just a few minutes in. Is this congklak? (pronounced chonk-cluck) edit: Heck yeah it is. I'm from Indonesia and although it could be played in a very simple setup, we usually have wooden boards with ornate carving or paint and seashells for the seeds. Although I'll be honest I haven't seen nor played this game for a good 20 years at least

[@Magicmaan775]

Wow Danny McBride is a crazy get

[@docwil2541]

So easy to learn, so hard to master. It is deceptive like Go.

[@nrvanderpoel76]

3

[@Freegrem]

Great now i want to play this random board game for no reason

[@reikyfoxxe1847]

9 mens morris is unironically so fun to play against your friends, all you need is pennies and dimes, pencil and paper

[@nicholasneyhart396]

I play it with my grandma every Saturday, it is fun for such a simple game.

[@dylanmuscat]

Brain also was meant to capture at 4:53

[@johnnivek9653]

Watching a guy who is older than me learn to play a game i played all the time during my childhood is kinda weird.

[@Aidan8et]

As someone that plaid Mancala a *lot*, watching Brian miss so many "free takes" and 1-seed pits...

[@KaitouKaiju]

10:10 Ryer could have captured 6

[@JomasterTheSecond]

Club Penguin moment.

[@DavidLopez-fo7yc]

I thought who ever clears the board keeps the rest

[@demonking86420]

Brick phone Nokia has it as one of its games

[@willburton5886]

How do you get so tiny views for so many subscribers I’m so confused

[@down2play214]

Huh?

[@bradlybellant3975]

Not sure if i want to watch this video and give uo my plausable deniability okay nvm this is just giving me more ways to cheat

[@browneyedotter1010]

My extended care teacher in middle and elementary used to show kids how to play mancala, we'd all play all the time

[@browneyedotter1010]

My extended care teacher in middle and elementary used to show kids how to play mancala, we'd all play all the time