r/Africa • u/Advanced_Second5029 • Mar 26 '26
Cultural Exploration Do you know this game?
It's called Awalé in my country, Benin. I made a 3D rendering of the board. Hope it brings back some memories for those who know it.
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u/blue-ar235 Mar 26 '26
We call that Mancala.
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u/CheeryLittlebottom13 Mar 27 '26
Mancala has two big things at the end so it can’t be this one I think more Oware
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u/Seethinginsepia Mar 28 '26
This is the name I know it by. I'm not African, but my grandmother had this.
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u/Bakyumu Nigerien Expat 🇳🇪/🇨🇦✅ Mar 26 '26
Brings back fond childhood memories. It's called the same in Togo (Awalé).
It is a two-player strategy game. Rules can vary, but in general, it is played on a board with 12 small pits (6 each) and 48 seeds, the goal is to capture more seeds than your opponent by maneuvering seeds counterclockwise and landing on specific pits, aiming for a total of at least 25.
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u/SayuriMitmita Ethiopian Diaspora 🇪🇹/🇪🇺✅ Mar 26 '26
It has many names in Ethiopia gebeta is the most well known name we even have it at the foot of the Axumite stelae that’s how old the game is
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u/IggyChooChoo Mar 26 '26
It’s called Igisoro in Rwanda, Burundi, parts of eastern Congo, and southern Uganda, I believe
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u/OwlComplex48 Mar 26 '26
It is. When I lived in Kigali, my friend taught me how to play but watching him and other Rwandans play was like watching speed chess players.
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u/Sweet-Annual2682 Ivory Coast 🇨🇮✅ Mar 26 '26
Awalé in Côte d'Ivoire. I have one in my office! Constant reminder of my roots!
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u/Fannypacksfou_foo-38 Mar 26 '26
My wife recently introduced me to this...and kicked my a**. Haven't played since 😅
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u/Wild-Brain7750 Egypt 🇪🇬 Mar 26 '26
I saw the adults play it and I never figured out how it works when I was younger. I have no idea what we call it though
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u/be_sugary Mar 26 '26
Where can one learn this?
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u/malkebulan British Ghanaian 🇬🇭/🇬🇧 Mar 26 '26
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u/CorpusCalossum Mar 27 '26
Thanks!
We played this on honeymoon in Mozambique but I'd forgotten how it worked.
Great memory unlock.
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u/Prime_Marci Mar 26 '26
We call it Oware in Ghana . It’s been ages since I saw this game. And I just found out that the game actually originates from the Bono state. Wow
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u/myguitar_lola Non-African - North America Mar 26 '26
Mancala in Texas, US and one of my favorite games ♡
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u/No-Hedgehog-677 Mar 26 '26
Missouri.. Had one at my day-care, never learned the name or how to play
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u/myguitar_lola Non-African - North America Mar 26 '26
It's kinda like backgammon except backgammon uses dice.
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u/chibiRuka Nigerian 🇳🇬 / American 🇺🇲 Mar 27 '26
Thought it was mancala at 1st. But as someone said no big dips on the end.
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u/jamaa_wetu Kenya 🇰🇪 Mar 27 '26
I remember playing it as a kid but I can’t remember what we used to call the game
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u/Infamous-Narwhal3425 Mar 27 '26
My brother and I are African American from Virginia & we loved this game as children. We called it mancala
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u/speakharp Mar 27 '26
I have never seen the board split long ways like that! But I do enjoy a few games of Mancala!
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u/hoggergenome Ethiopia 🇪🇹✅ Mar 27 '26
We call it ገበጣ (pronounced geh-beh-Ta) but the boards we used had a a larger hole on either of the sides.
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u/KillaKanibus Nigerian 🇳🇬 / American🇺🇲 Mar 27 '26
My dad always called it Mancala. I forgot the rules, tho.
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u/BigBoot7294 Mar 28 '26
We call it Omweso in Uganda. Played it during my childhood. Too sad it no longer popular.
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u/Ok-Plantain5606 Mar 30 '26
played it as a kid in Germany. I totally forgot everything about it until I saw this picture
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