How to Play Congkak

Congkak is a two-player count-and-capture game. The objective is to collect more seeds in your storehouse than your opponent by the end of the game.

Congkak in 30 seconds

Each player has 7 houses and a storehouse. Every house starts with 7 seeds.
On your turn, scoop up every seed in one of your houses and drop them one at a time, counter-clockwise, into your own storehouse too — but never your opponent's.
Last seed in your storehouse? Go again.
Last seed in an empty house on your side? Capture the seeds in the house opposite.
When one side runs out of seeds, the game ends. Most seeds wins.

The Board

A Congkak board consists of two rows of seven small holes (called "houses") and two large holes at each end (called "storehouses" or "home"). Each player controls the row of houses closest to them, and the storehouse on their right.

Player 1 - Bottom row, right storehouse
Player 2 - Top row, left storehouse

Setup

At the start of the game, each of the 14 small houses contains 7 seeds. Both storehouses begin empty. Player 1 takes the first turn.

Starting position: 7 seeds in each of the 14 houses (98 in total). Your storehouse is on the right.

Taking a Turn

On your turn, pick up all the seeds from any house on your side that contains seeds. Then, moving toward your storehouse first, drop one seed into each hole you pass—continuing around the board, including your own storehouse but skipping your opponent's storehouse.

Step by step:

Choose a house on your side with at least one seed
Pick up all seeds from that house
Moving counter-clockwise, drop one seed per hole
Skip your opponent's storehouse when passing it
Continue until you run out of seeds

Sowing: the 7 seeds from your third house go one each into your next four houses, your storehouse, then onto your opponent's side. The last seed lands on their side, so the turn passes.

Special Rules

Extra Turn

If your last seed lands in your own storehouse, you get another turn immediately. This can chain multiple times in a single sequence of moves.

Extra turn: 7 seeds from your first house reach exactly to your storehouse — go again.

Capture

If your last seed lands in an empty house on your side, and the opposite house (on your opponent's side) contains seeds, you capture all the seeds from the opposite house plus your landing seed. All captured seeds go into your storehouse.

Capture: 2 seeds from your second house — the last one lands in your empty fourth house. You take it plus the 6 seeds opposite: 7 seeds to your storehouse.

End of the Game

The game ends when one player has no seeds left in any of their houses. When this happens:

Any remaining seeds on the other player's side go into that player's storehouse
Both players count the seeds in their storehouses
The player with more seeds wins

Tips for Beginners

Count ahead to see where your last seed will land
Try to land in your storehouse for extra turns
Watch for capture opportunities when houses are empty
Don't leave houses with many seeds opposite your empty houses

Frequently Asked Questions

How many seeds are used in Congkak?

This version uses 98 seeds: 7 in each of the 14 small houses, with both storehouses empty at the start. Traditional boards vary between 5 and 9 houses per side, with the same number of seeds per house as there are houses.

Who goes first in Congkak?

Here, Player 1 (the bottom row) moves first. In many traditional games both players start at the same moment and sow at the same time until one of them stops.

What happens if my last seed lands in an empty house?

If the empty house is on your side and the house directly opposite has seeds, you capture them plus your landing seed and put them all in your storehouse. If it is on your opponent's side, your turn simply ends.

What if my last seed lands in a house that already has seeds?

In this version your turn ends. Many traditional rule sets use relay sowing instead: you pick up everything in that house and keep sowing until your last seed lands in an empty house or your storehouse.

Is Congkak the same as mancala?

Mancala is the family of count-and-capture games; Congkak is the Malaysian and Singaporean member. Close relatives include congklak and dakon in Indonesia and sungka in the Philippines. Its rules are similar to Kalah, played with more houses and seeds.

How long does a game of Congkak take?

Usually 5 to 10 minutes. The daily puzzle starts from a mid-game position, so it is often quicker.

Once you've played a few rounds, read our strategy guide to improve your game. Want to explore variations? Congkak belongs to the mancala family of games, each with slightly different rules. Learn about the history of how Congkak spread across Southeast Asia. Teaching a class? See Congkak for teachers.