Ayo game rules
Ayo (Ayò Ọlọ́pọ́n) is a traditional Yoruba mancala game played in Nigeria and other West African countries. It's a two-player strategy game with simple rules but deep gameplay.
Objective
The goal is to capture more seeds (counters) than your opponent by the end of the game.
Equipment
- A wooden board with 2 rows of 6 pits (holes) (total of 12 pits).
- 48 seeds (usually small stones or shells), with 4 seeds in each pit at the start.
Setup
1. Each player controls the 6 pits on their side of the board.
2. Place 4 seeds in each pit (total of 48 seeds).
Gameplay Rules
Players take turns sowing seeds. On your turn, pick up all seeds from one of your pits.
Sowing: Drop one seed in each subsequent pit in a counter-clockwise direction (moving toward your opponent's side first). If you have enough seeds, you will sow into your opponent's pits.If you reach the end of the board, continue sowing back on your side.
Capturing
If the last seed you drop lands in an opponent’s pit with 1 or 2 seeds (making it 2 or 3 seeds total), you capture those seeds and remove them from the board.
If the pit before that (moving backward) also has 2 or 3 seeds (after your move), you capture those as well, continuing until you reach a pit that doesn’t meet this condition.
Winning the Game
The game ends when a player cannot move (has no seeds left on their side).
The player with the most captured seeds wins. If both players have 24 seeds each, the game is a draw.
Special Rules & Variations
No "Starving" Rule: In some versions, you must make a move that gives your opponent seeds if they have none left.
First Move Advantage: To balance the game, sometimes the first player is restricted from capturing on their first move.
You should use only one finger to count the seeds. If you touch with two or more fingers then you have to play those.
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