Gamehelpcongkak

OVERVIEW

Congkak is a 2-player mancala style game. The board has 2 large grooves on its left and right ends (storehouses), with 14 small holes in between (7 on each side). The game begins with 7 stones in each of the small holes and nothing in the storehouses. The storehouse to your left is yours, as are the 7 small holes nearest to you. Your goal is to have the most stones in your storehouse at the end of the game.

HOW TO PLAY

FIRST ROUND ONLY:

Each player chooses a hole on their own side of the board. The stones from these holes are SIMULTANEOUSLY redistributed around the board by placing one stone in each hole CLOCKWISE until all stones have been distributed. You will place a stone in your storehouse, in passing, but never in the opponent's storehouse.

Depending on where your last stone is placed, take the following actions:

1 - YOUR OWN STOREHOUSE: at the end of the board: Choose any hole on your side of the board, scoop up all of its stones, and again redistribute them around the board.

2 - ANY OCCUPIED HOLE: Regardless of which side of the board you end, if there are stones in that hole, scoop them all up, and again redistribute them around the board.

3 - EMPTY HOLE ON YOUR SIDE: Scoop up all of the stones on the opposite side of the board and place them into your storehouse. Your turn is over.

4 - EMPTY HOLE ON THEIR SIDE: Your turn is over.

SUBSEQUENT ROUNDS:

The player who finished their opening moves first will play first after their opponent is done. Then turns alternate between players. Only the first round is simultaneous.

GAME END

Play until all of the small holes on both sides of the board are empty.

MULTIPLE ROUND OPTION

If playing more than one round, you will use the stones in your storehouses to reseed your side of the board. Distribute the stones evenly amongst the holes, up to 7 stones per hole.

~ Any stones left over go back into your storehouse. ~ If you don't have enough stones to fill a hole (it is empty), it is considered "burnt" and anyone's pieces that land in it automatically go to their opponent!

The loser of the previous round goes first. There is no simultaneous opening move.

Game ends when all of the houses are empty on either side of the board. Player with the most stones wins.