# Oware Master — African roots of Mancala game

> Digital adaptation of the African Mancala sowing game with AI and online multiplayer. (iPhone/iPad app by Rodolphe Boulanger.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oware-master/id936240379 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Rodolphe Boulanger](https://appshunter.io/developer/936240378)
- Category: Games, Board, Strategy
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 988 App Store ratings · 76 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 35 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France)
- Released: 2015-01-06
- Data updated: 2026-08-31
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oware-master/id936240379/reviews.md

## What is Oware Master?

Play the most captivating of the African sowing games!
•	Learn to play in less than 5 minutes with a step-by-step tutorial
•	Play online against friends or other players from all over the world on Game Center
•	Play against the artificial intelligence, with 5 difficulty levels available in the free version: Beginner, Easy, Intermediate, Medium and Hard
•	Improve your high scores to get to the top of the Game Center rankings!

3D game board with high resolution textures:
•	Change the viewing angle by dragging 2 fingers
•	Zoom by pinching
•	Adjust the grain distribution speed

Buy the Premium version to add these benefits:
•	No ads
•	2 additional levels of difficulty: Pro level and the virtually unbeatable Master level!
•	Double points during online play (40 instead of 20 for victory, 10 instead of 5 for defeat)

Follow me:
https://twitter.com/rodOxyd
https://www.facebook.com/rodoxyd

## Key features

- Step-by-step tutorial
- Online multiplayer via Game Center
- AI opponent with 5 difficulty levels
- 3D game board with adjustable camera
- High score tracking and rankings

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium version | $1.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Oware Master?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Learning more strategy
- 👍 Well-designed app
- 👍 Realistic learning experience
- 👍 Excellent teaching method
- 👍 Pleasing visuals and easy to see
- 👍 Fun and historical significance
- 👍 Realistic gameplay

**Cons**

- 🐛 Bugs and freezing issues
- 🤔 Rules seem to change
- 🤔 Online play not working
- 🤔 Difficulty levels too unbalanced

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Online play freezing
- Game getting stuck

**Most requested features**

- Undo button
- Ability to customize seeds and board
- Allow Facebook friends to play
- Option to fully complete the game

## Recent user reviews (10 of 76)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oware-master/id936240379/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Learning more strategy all the time!

*2025-11-13, version 1.5*

This app is so well designed! I have only played it offline against the computer and still can’t win every time against either Medium or Hard levels. It’s a more realistic learning experience than the versions I’ve tried that have an “undo” feature. This way you either have to quit and start again or play all the way through to learn from your mistakes— just like playing against a human! 😃

### 5/5 — owaremaster

*2024-10-11, version 1.5*

#noadsorinteruptions#easyorhardorintermeditetowin#75%rating!

### 5/5 — Simple mais pas facile :)

*2024-09-13, version 1.5*

J’espère un jour arriver à passer le cap du niveau intermédiaire… Belle interface en tout cas

### 3/5 — The hard aspect the computer always cheat

*2024-08-17, version 1.5*

This game is a cheat when it comes to the hard aspect

### 4/5 — Fun but bugs ruin it a bit

*2024-07-02, version 1.5*

I love this app, very well designed and playable. However, trying to play online with Game Center doesn’t work. It simply freezes on the connecting to opponent screen every time one is found. I would give this 5 stars if that were changed.

### 5/5 — Exactly what I needed to learn the  game

*2024-04-12, version 1.5*

The teaching method was excellent for an old codger like me.I wanted to learn the basics in order to give a wooden set to my chess master grandson.To learn,I only had to follow the on screen options to move.If I did good ,it immediately told me and if I did poorly it explained the reason why.The instructions were so simple,they used the words,sow,harvest,and starve to make the concepts stick in my head! The visual wood and stones were very pleasing and easy to see.I downloaded several apps and this is only one I liked.

### 4/5 — The best

*2024-01-09, version 1.5*

The App is second to other. It simply the best.

### 2/5 — Rules seem to change

*2023-07-23, version 1.5*

It seems to change the rules above the easiest levels.  Sometimes it jumps over empty squares and other times when it benefits the computer player it doesn’t.

### 5/5 — Nice to see an online version.

*2023-01-29, version 1.5*

I have a nice mahogany board with those green beans that I was gifted by my stepmom when she and my dad were working in Nigeria. I never get a chance to play with anyone, so this is cool. I had an earlier version that I tried and the beginner mode waxed me. I used to be the family champ. Maybe with practice I can advance.

### 5/5 — Love the Game and it’s historical significance

*2022-11-19, version 1.5*

I’ve been playing mancala games for a minutes but oware takes it to another level. The game play is fun and it didn’t take long to learn how to play it.   After the first day of playing I’m not on medium and it is noooo joke lol.  I wish more ppl all over the globe would learn more about this West African game.

## Frequently asked questions about Oware Master

### What is Oware Master?

Oware Master is a digital adaptation of the Oware game, an ancient African sowing game. It allows you to learn the game through a tutorial, play against an AI with various difficulty levels, or compete with other players online.

### How do I learn to play Oware Master?

The app includes a step-by-step tutorial that teaches you how to play in under 5 minutes. This makes it easy for beginners to pick up the game quickly.

### Can I play against other people?

Yes, you can play online against friends or other players from around the world through Game Center. This feature allows for competitive multiplayer matches.

### What are the benefits of the Premium version?

The Premium version removes ads and adds two extra difficulty levels: Pro and Master. It also doubles the points awarded for online victories and defeats, helping you climb the rankings faster.

### What devices is Oware Master compatible with?

While specific compatibility details are not provided, the app is designed for mobile devices and utilizes features like Game Center, suggesting compatibility with iOS devices.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.5 — 2022-08-19

•	The App is now display full screen on iPhones with notch screen.
•	The "Intermediate" level is now slightly easier than before.

### 1.4.1 — 2019-01-07

The game was stuck when the artificial inteligence could play a move that could take all seeds.
This is fixed now, and you should no longer be frustrated for being stuck in a middle of a game.
Have fun playing Oware Master!

### 1.4 — 2018-09-18

The step between the level Easy and the level Medium was too high.
So I added an intermediate level, and I called it... Intermediate !

### 1.3 — 2018-06-19

New: Speed up the seeds distribution with the cheetah button at any time !
When the board layout has already been played, lets you stop the game when you decide to stop, instead of asking you to stop the game at each turn.

### 1.2 — 2015-10-26

• A bug related to the "Who starts" option was fixed.
• Fixed: Some sound effects were not played (especially in high speed).
• Increased seed distribution speed (makes the old cheetah look like a kitten!).
• New, more natural seed layout.
• New scoreboard, with increased bonus for higher levels.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-31.*