Play Mancala online with glass marbles

Glaze & Gleam is a free online version of Mancala, the ancient family of "sowing" games played with seeds or stones in rows of cups. This one uses the popular Kalah rules, with glass marbles on a hand-thrown stoneware board.

Play against the computer at three levels, or send a friend a link and play together in real time. There's nothing to download and no account to make, and it works on phones, tablets and computers.

How to play Mancala (Kalah)

Each player has a row of six cups and a store at their end of the board. Every cup starts with four marbles.
On your turn, pick up all the marbles from one of your cups and sow them one by one into the following cups, counter-clockwise. You skip your opponent's store but drop into your own.
Extra turn: if your last marble lands in your store, you go again.
Capture: if your last marble lands in an empty cup on your side, you capture it plus every marble in the cup directly opposite.
When either row is empty, each player adds the marbles left on their side to their store. The bigger store wins.

Tips to win at Mancala

Count for free turns. A cup with exactly as many marbles as steps to your store gives you another turn. Play those first, starting with the cup closest to your store.
Guard your empty cups. Look at what your opponent can land on before you leave a big pile opposite one of their empty cups.
Hoard on the right. Building up the cup next to your store keeps options open late in the game.
Watch the endgame count. When rows run low, whoever runs out first lets the other player keep their marbles.

Questions

Is Glaze & Gleam free?: Yes. It's free to play, with no ads and no sign-up.
Which Mancala rules does it use?: Kalah, the most common rules: 6 cups a side, 4 marbles per cup, extra turns for landing in your store, and captures from empty cups.
Can I play against the computer?: Yes. Easy is relaxed, Normal takes free turns and captures, and Expert reads many moves ahead.
How do I play with a friend?: Choose "Play a friend" to get a link. When your friend opens it, they take the other side of the board.

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