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two or three, these are captured as well, and so on until a house is reached which does not contain two or three seeds or does not belong to the opponent. The captured seeds are placed in the player's scoring house (or set aside if the board has no scoring houses). However, if a move would capture all of an opponent's seeds, the capture is forfeited since this would prevent the opponent from continuing the game, and the seeds are instead left on the board. (However, see discussion on Grand Slam variations below). In the adjacent diagram, the lower player would capture all the seeds in houses
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Reflecting traditional
African values, players of oware encourage participation by onlookers, making it perhaps the most social two-player abstract. In recreational play, it is normal for spectators to discuss the game in progress and to advise the players. Games may provide a focus for entertainment
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The game is over when one player has captured 25 or more seeds, or each player has taken 24 seeds (draw). If both players agree that the game has been reduced to an endless cycle, the game ends when each player has seeds in his holes and then each player captures the seeds on their side of the board.
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In Oware Abapa, capturing occurs only when a player brings the count of an opponent's house to exactly two or three with the final seed he sowed in that turn. This always captures the seeds in the corresponding house, and possibly more: If the previous-to-last seed also brought an opponent's house to
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Boards may be elaborately carved or simple and functional; they may include a pedestal, or be hinged to fold lengthwise or crosswise and latch for portability and storage with the seeds inside. While most commonly located at either end, scoring houses may be placed elsewhere, and the rows need not be
371:
The game starts with four seeds in each house. The objective of the game is to capture more seeds than one's opponent. Since the game has only 48 seeds, capturing 25 is sufficient to win the game. Since there is an even number of seeds, it is possible for the game to end in a draw, where each player
669:
Knowing the number of seeds in each house is, of course, important to game play. When there are many seeds in a house, sometimes enough to make a full lap of the board or more, they cannot easily be counted by eye, and their number is often guarded by the player who controls that house. This may be
221:
The game requires an oware board and 48 seeds. A typical oware board has two straight rows of six pits, called "houses", and optionally one large "score" house at each end. Each player controls the six houses on their side of the board, and the score house on their end. The game begins with four
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The proscription against capturing all an opponent's seeds is related to a more general idea, that one ought to make a move that allows the opponent to continue playing. If an opponent's houses are all empty, the current player must make a move that gives the opponent seeds. If no such move is
662:. Seeds are not distributed into the end scoring houses, nor into the house drawn from. The starting house is always left empty; if it contained 12 (or more) seeds, it is skipped, and the twelfth seed is placed in the next house. The diagram shows the result of sowing from house
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Players take turns moving the seeds. On a turn, a player chooses one of the six houses under their control. The player removes all seeds from that house, and distributes them, dropping one in each house counter-clockwise from this house, in a process called
59:
family of board games (pit and pebble games) played worldwide with slight variations as to the layout of the game, number of players and strategy of play. Its origin is uncertain but it is widely believed to be of
344:, the scoring houses may be carved into the two halves of the cover, and so be in front of the players during play. The ground may also be used as a board; players simply scoop two rows of pits out of the earth.
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done by repeatedly moving the seeds in the house. A player may count the seeds when contemplating a move; in such cases the last few are usually counted in the hand to avoid revealing their number.
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A grand slam is capturing all of an opponent's seeds in one turn. There are variations to the rule that applies, which may be one of the following:
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As a strategy game, Oware requires keen strategic insights for human players. However, computer analysis has shown that Oware (or Awari) is a
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Grand slam captures are allowed, however, all remaining stones on the board are awarded to the opponent.
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819:, oware is said to derive its name — which literally means "he/she marries" — from a legend in the
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Such a move is legal, but no capture results. International competitions often follow this rule.
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and meeting others. The game, or variations of it, also had an important role in teaching
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possible, the current player captures all seeds in their own territory, ending the game.
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938:. African Studies Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 20 December 1982
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1014:(2nd ed.). Columbia, Missouri: Purple Squirrel Productions. p. 7.
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for which, with best play, either player is able to force a drawn result.
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variation, considered to be the most appropriate for serious, adult play.
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1183:. Rules, options, and Oware history and background available via menu.
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One commercial version was marketed in 1964 by 3M, as the board game
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Such a move is legal, but the last (or first) house is not captured.
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Oware game variant. On this board players would sit left and right.
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189:) (meaning "spoons" in English). A common name in English is
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but one of the earliest
Western scholars to study the game,
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web-based Oware (Javascript) with optional computer players
695:(since it is not contiguous to the other captured houses).
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1076:""Oware - History, Rules and Play", Games from Everywhere"
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1012:
How to Play Warri : The
Caribbean Oware Mancala Game
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1189:. Multiplayer, real-time Oware game with human opponents
30:
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Variations allowing Grand slams to end the game are
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Weight for weighing gold dust - Awele or Awari game
1134:Romein, John W.; Bal, Henri E. (September 2002).
800:Oware is perhaps the most widespread game in the
340:straight. When a board has a hinged cover like a
1686:
1028:
936:"African Games of Strategy: A Teaching Manual"
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1035:Romein, John W.; Bal, Henri E. (June 2002).
222:seeds in each of the twelve smaller houses.
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103:, oware and its variants have many names -
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730:Grand slam captures are not legal moves.
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1411:Owabi Forest Reserve and Bird Sanctuary
762:in 2002; either side can force a draw.
14:
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1010:Chamberlin, David B. (November 2017).
842:
779:
511:The lower player prepares to sow from
1206:
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956:
1457:Ashanti parliamentary constituencies
691:but not b (as it has four seeds) or
1306:1733 slave insurrection on St. John
911:"Oware - Played all over the world"
788:Awalé with the shape of an elephant
24:
25:
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1396:Bobiri Forest Butterfly Sanctuary
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807:Considered the national game of
743:Various other rules also exist.
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209:Following are the rules for the
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27:Ghanaian abstract strategy game
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1498:Kumasi International Airport
1406:Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve
1401:Bomfobiri Wildlife Sanctuary
1371:Districts and Municipalities
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41:For people named Oware, see
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1198:Oh-Wah-Ree on boardgamegeek
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351:, the seeds are typically
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1705:Traditional mancala games
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946:– via Google Books.
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195:Robert Sutherland Rattray
986:"Rules of oware - Aualé"
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359:. Some tourist sets use
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1654:(Ghana National Anthem)
1463:Governance and politics
1336:War of the Golden Stool
754:and John Romein at the
722:"Grand slam" variations
1273:Ashanti independentism
1193:Oware on boardgamegeek
1187:Oware online by PlayOK
1152:10.3233/ICG-2002-25306
1107:Davis, Lucile (1999).
1055:10.3233/ICG-2002-25306
957:Davis, Lucile (1999).
827:, the language of the
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384:A player sowing seeds.
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53:abstract strategy game
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839:to African children.
817:Antigua & Barbuda
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699:Let the opponent play
648:are captured but not
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33:
1263:Ashanti protectorate
1088:on February 24, 2021
1493:Boankra Inland Port
1291:Battle of Nsamankow
843:Theory and Strategy
780:History and society
139:ouri, ouril or uril
99:and throughout the
1488:Economy of Ashanti
1440:Ashanti Asantehene
1331:Anglo-Ashanti wars
1326:Battle of Atakpamé
984:Soler, Joan Sala.
813:Ashanti City-State
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756:Vrije Universiteit
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1652:Yen Ara Asaase Ni
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1416:Kumasi Metropolis
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1321:Second Maroon War
1301:Battle of Feyiase
1136:"Awari Is Solved"
1120:978-0-7368-0069-3
1037:"Awari is Solved"
1021:978-0-9994889-0-4
970:978-0-7368-0069-3
804:family of games.
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1659:Golden Stool
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1546:Twi language
1534:Asante names
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1296:Komenda Wars
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1377:Settlements
1311:Tacky's War
1092:20 December
995:20 December
942:20 December
920:20 December
895:20 December
861:Pallanguzhi
849:solved game
829:Akan people
123:Ivory Coast
69:Bono Region
18:Wari (game)
1689:Categories
1625:Prempensua
1388:Lake Volta
1250:Chronology
872:References
837:arithmetic
809:Bono State
773:Oh-Wah-Ree
717:Variations
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143:Cape Verde
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1636:Mythology
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1615:Aburukuwa
1558:Education
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1349:Geography
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1060:19 April
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1644:Symbols
1518:Society
1477:Economy
1360:Climate
1242:History
886:"Oware"
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1079:(PDF)
960:Ghana
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766:Other
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205:Rules
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