Comparison

Mancala+ vs Mancala

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Mancala+

Experience the classic African board game with a digital twist. Challenge a computer opponent with adjustable difficulty or play against a friend. Offers standard Kalah rules with options for starting seeds per pit.

Highlights
  • Play against AI opponent
  • Local multiplayer mode
  • Selectable difficulty levels
  • Adjustable starting seeds per pit
  • Standard Kalah rules implementation
Features
Read full description

Play the classic African board game against a challenging computer opponent, or another person! Features: - Selectable difficulty level - Human vs. iPhone or Human vs. Human - Select from 3 to 6 starting seeds per pit This version of Mancala uses standard Kalah rules: - Each player's pits are filled with a preset number of seeds - On any given turn, a player may sow seeds from any of their pits, proceeding counterclockwise around the board, skipping the opponent's store - If the last seed lands in the player's own store, the player gets a free turn - If the last seed lands in an empty pit on the player's side, and the opposite pit contains seeds, the player captures both the single seed, and all seeds in the corresponding pit on the opponent's side - When either player has no seeds in any of their pits, the other player's seeds move into their store, ending the game - At the end of the game, the player with the highest number of seeds in his or her store is the winner COMING SOON: - More advanced Mancala rule sets, including Oware

About

Mancala

This app offers a classic Mancala board game experience with adjustable AI difficulty and a built-in strategy coach. Enjoy smooth animations and a distraction-free interface for endless strategic play, playable offline.

Highlights
  • Three AI difficulty levels
  • AI thinks up to 10 moves deep
  • Built-in strategy coach
  • Undo moves and learn
  • Elegant wooden board design
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Experience one of the world's oldest and most beloved board games, beautifully reimagined for iPhone and iPad. Mancala - Stone & Pit brings the timeless strategy of the ancient pit-and-pebble game to your fingertips. Whether you're a lifelong fan or discovering Mancala for the first time, this is the definitive mobile version. PLAY YOUR WAY - Three CPU difficulty levels: Rookie, Sharp, and Counter - Challenge yourself against an AI that thinks up to 10 moves deep - 2-Player Pass & Play: share one device and take on a friend - Track your record: wins, losses, and streaks for each difficulty TRAINING MODE - Built-in strategy coach analyzes every move - See scoring breakdowns, capture opportunities, and extra turn options - Undo moves and learn from mistakes BEAUTIFUL & INTUITIVE - Elegant wooden board design with smooth stone animations - Four handcrafted board themes - Sound effects and haptics, with a mute toggle - Clean, distraction-free interface - Easy to learn, endlessly strategic NO HASSLE - No account required - No internet connection needed to play - One-time purchase to remove ads forever Mancala has been played for over a thousand years. Now it fits in your pocket.

Screenshots

Mancala+2 screens
Mancala4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Mancala at 4.4 against Mancala+'s 3.1. Mancala also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 55%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). Mancala+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mancala sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mancala+ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mancala holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mancala+ has 565 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Mancala+'s written reviews are positive against 75% of Mancala's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mancala+ ships an update every 3 months, Mancala every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Mancala+ versus Mancala: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMancala+Mancala
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (565 ratings)4.4 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.1% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings565 — better14
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS3.1 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpiny SoftwareEsbro Labs LLC

Customer experience

Mancala+

All ratings568 ratings
Positive40.3%
Neutral24.8%
Negative34.9%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive55.1%
Neutral18.7%
Negative26.2%

Mancala

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Mancala+

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on certain iOS versions
  • Incompatible with newer iOS updates
  • Incorrect game mechanics and rule enforcement

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add instructions and tutorial for new players
  • Provide option to slow down animation speed
  • Allow listening to music during gameplay
  • Implement online/multiplayer mode
  • Add more difficulty levels and customization options

Mancala

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Mancala+

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Mancala

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$3.99

Questions

Is Mancala+ free?
Mancala+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mancala free?
Mancala is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mancala+ or Mancala?
Mancala is rated higher. Mancala+ averages 3.1 out of 5 from 565 ratings, while Mancala averages 4.4 from 14 ratings.
Do Mancala+ or Mancala have ads?
Mancala shows ads; Mancala+ does not.
Which is updated more often, Mancala+ or Mancala?
Mancala+ ships an update every 3 months, and Mancala every 5 weeks. Most recently, Mancala+ was updated on October 23, 2026 and Mancala on October 28, 2026.

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