Comparison

Mancala. vs Mancala Kay

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

Head to head
About

Mancala.

Experience Mancala, an ancient strategy board game. Move marbles counter-clockwise, aiming to collect the most in your home hole. Enjoy a classic game of skill and foresight.

Highlights
  • Ancient board game gameplay
  • Counter-clockwise marble movement
  • Strategic home hole collection
  • Simple rules, deep strategy
  • Single-player game
Currently charting
Read full description

Mancala (also known as Kalah) is an ancient board game. Pick up marbles from any of bottom holes and move them counter-clockwise. If your move ends at your home hole (right one) you can move again. The game ends when all six holes on either side are empty. The winner is the player with the most marbles in home hole.

About

Mancala Kay

Experience a classic board game of strategy and connection. Play against AI, friends, or players worldwide. Features weekly competitions, cross-device play, and voice chat options for enhanced interaction.

Highlights
  • Play against AI or online opponents
  • Weekly league competitions and leaderboards
  • Cross-device play on iPhone, iPad, and TV
  • Quick chat and voice note communication
  • Multi-language support
  • Voice explanations for learning rules
Features
Read full description

Long before social media, there was Mancala. One of the oldest expressions of strategic thinking and social connection is back for the modern era with the Mancala Kay variant. Known as Oware, Awale, Warri, Toukay, Wuré and many other names, this timeless game now goes wherever you go: on your iPhone, iPad, computer and on the big screen. HOW IT WORKS Sow your seeds (or marbles), anticipate the other player's moves and capture more seeds than they do. Easy to learn, deep to master. PLAY YOUR WAY - Against the AI: practice at your own pace. - Online: take on real players. - With a friend: share a link or a code and they join your match instantly. - On the same device: two players, face to face. WEEKLY COMPETITION - Join your league and climb the leaderboard every week. - Earn XP, level up and win tokens. ON THE BIG SCREEN - Launch Mancala Kay on a compatible TV. - Scan the QR code with your iPhone: it becomes the controller. - Perfect for family and friends in the living room. - Compatible TVs listed at mancala-kay.com STAY CONNECTED - Quick chat during the match: "Good luck", "Nice move"… - Send 10-second voice notes, or 30 seconds with Premium. FOR EVERYONE - Voice explanations to learn the rules. - Available in English, Haitian Creole, French, Spanish, German, Swahili, Portuguese and many other languages. - One experience across all your screens. MANCALA KAY PREMIUM Optional subscription with extra benefits, including 30-second voice notes in the online multiplayer mode: communicate with the other player through a voice message to make the game even more interactive. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.mancala-kay.com/policy.html Download Mancala Kay and start your first match!

Screenshots

Mancala.4 screens
Mancala Kay3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Mancala. at none against Mancala Kay's shown. Mancala. also leads on ratings volume (37K vs 3) and chart position (#99 vs unranked). Mancala Kay's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 10 one-off in-app purchases and Mancala Kay sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Mancala. against 4.7 for Mancala Kay. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mancala. has 37K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mancala. ships an update every 2 months, Mancala Kay fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Mancala. versus Mancala Kay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMancala.Mancala Kay
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (37K ratings) — better4.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings37K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#99 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac
Requires iOS12.4 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB133 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSergey SkosyrevJean Marcelin Beaubrun

Customer experience

Mancala.

All ratings36,514 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral4.0%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews549 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral8.6%
Negative11.5%

Mancala Kay

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Mancala.

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Hint button not working properly
  • Peg solitaire mode has unsolvable levels

Requested features

5 requests
  • Multiplayer mode
  • Difficulty settings for AI
  • Earn in-game currency through gameplay
  • More single-player modes and puzzles
  • Clearer in-app instructions and rules

Mancala Kay

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Mancala.

One-time10
  • 50 diamonds$1.99
  • 55 diamonds$1.99
  • 90 diamonds$2.99
Show 7 more
  • Advanced Features$4.99
  • 150 diamonds$4.99
  • Avalanche Advanced Features$4.99
  • 145 diamonds$4.99
  • 180 diamonds$6.99
  • 350 diamonds$9.99
  • 750 diamonds$19.99
6 purchases

Mancala Kay

Subscriptions3
  • Unlimited Pass$1.997 Days
  • Unlimited Pass1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Unlimited Pass$29.991 Year
One-time3
  • Jetons Small$0.99
  • Jetons Medium$2.99
  • Jetons Large$5.99

Questions

Is Mancala. free?
Mancala. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mancala Kay free?
Mancala Kay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mancala. or Mancala Kay?
Mancala. is rated higher. Mancala. averages 4.7 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while Mancala Kay averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Mancala. or Mancala Kay have ads?
Mancala Kay shows ads; Mancala. does not.
Which is updated more often, Mancala. or Mancala Kay?
Mancala. ships an update every 2 months, and Mancala Kay fortnightly. Most recently, Mancala. was updated on November 11, 2026 and Mancala Kay on November 9, 2026.

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