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Traditional

Sungka

Also called Filipino mancala, Sungkaan

A two-player shell-sowing board game: scoop shells from a pit and drop one per pit around the board, trying to fill your own store.

people
2–8
time
20 min
energy
Calm
materials
Household items
Kids-safeHR-safeChurch-safe
Watch it played
What you need2
How to play4

Before you start

Lay the board between two players and put 7 shells in each of the 14 small pits. Both stores (the end pits, called ulo) start empty. Each player owns the 7 pits on their side and the store on their left.

  1. 1Both players start at the same time: scoop all shells from any one pit on your side and drop one in each pit going clockwise, including your own store but skipping your opponent's.
  2. 2If your last shell lands in a pit with shells, scoop them all up and keep sowing. If it lands in your own store, take another turn.
  3. 3If your last shell lands in an empty pit on your side, capture it plus all shells in the opponent's pit directly opposite and put them in your store; your turn ends. Landing in an empty pit on their side also ends your turn.
  4. 4The round ends when one player has no shells on their side. Whoever has more shells in their store wins.
What to say3
  1. 1“Lolo versus apo — who knows sungka better?”
  2. 2“Last shell in the store — another turn!”
  3. 3“Capture! She just cleared the whole pit!”
Host tips3
  • Half the guests won't know the rules and the other half know a different provincial version. Agree on the rules above before play — especially the simultaneous start — and post them next to the board.
  • One board means one game for 20 minutes while everyone else watches. Set up two or three boards (cups and beans work) in a quiet corner as a running side station.
  • This is the game that gets grandparents playing. Seat a senior who knows it as the 'champion' and let kids challenge them.
Variants2

  • King of the board

    For a party, the winner stays on and the next challenger sits down. Run a scoreboard of who held the board longest.

  • Multi-round with burnt pits

    Players refill their pits 7 at a time from their store; pits they cannot fill are 'burnt' and skipped next round. Play until someone can't fill a single pit.

Safety1
  • Shells, beans and pebbles are a choking hazard for toddlers — keep the board on a table and supervise under-4s.
Good for

Occasions

ReunionFiestaChristmasRetreatSchool

Venues

Indoor, smallIndoor, largeOfficeChurch hallOutdoor