Songo

About this game

Songo is the classic mancala game of Cameroon, Gabon and the Ekang peoples of Central Africa. Fourteen houses, seventy seeds: sow clockwise and capture any opponent house your last seed brings to two, three or four, with the houses behind it. A protected first house, a leftmost house that cannot be sown thin, and long sowings through the opponent's row make it play unlike other mancala games. Nine hands-on lessons, free Auto Play, five computer levels, two players on one phone and a daily puzzle. Carved wood board, seeds that click and roll. No ads, works offline.

How to play

1. New here? Nine short lessons teach every move, or watch free Auto Play.
2. TAP one of your houses on the bottom row to sow it. Glowing houses are playable.
3. Seeds go one per house, clockwise: along your row right to left, then your opponent's row.
4. If your last seed makes an opponent house hold 2, 3 or 4, you capture it and any chain behind it.
5. A row's first house is safe from one landing seed; its leftmost house can't be sown thin.
6. A house with 14 or more seeds goes once round, then only into your opponent's row.
7. If your opponent has no seeds, put at least seven on their side if you can.
8. First to capture 40 of the 70 seeds wins; below 40 at the end is a draw. Hint shows a move and why.