Bao

About this board game

Bao is an abstract strategy game for 2 players, with a playing time of about 40 minutes. Originating in East Africa, especially Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania, it is generally reckoned to be the most complicated of the Mancala family games played in many parts of Africa.

The game is played on a Bao board with two rows of 8 holes for each player. Counters, known as seeds, are placed in these holes. Players make moves by taking more than one seed and sowing them along a row of holes.

Sowing can lead to a continuing sequence of actions. Depending on where the last seed is placed, you may take the seeds from that hole and continue sowing. In some situations, the move can also capture seeds from your opponent, making the placement of each seed important.

• Players: 2
• Playing time: about 40 minutes
• Core actions: sowing seeds, continuing a sowing sequence, and possibly capturing opposing seeds
• Board layout: two rows of 8 holes per player

The aim in Bao is to empty your opponent’s front row of seeds or to make it impossible for them to move. With its distinctive sowing system and potential for continued play, Bao offers a focused abstract contest built around the interaction of seed placement, captures, and available moves.

For anyone interested in traditional African Mancala games, Bao presents a particularly intricate ruleset and a clear objective. Its East African heritage and demanding sowing mechanics make Bao a notable two-player strategy game.