Play oware online, free — against the computer or with friends

Updated 16 September 2026

Oware — also called awale, wari or ayo depending on the country — is one of the oldest strategy games in Africa: a sowing game where every seed counts. On LudoAfrik you play it in your browser, against the computer or with your friends on video, with no account and nothing to install.

🤖 Play oware against the computer — no sign-up

No registration: the game starts right away with an automatic nickname. Play with friends on video

How to play oware online on LudoAfrik

1. Click "Play against the computer": the game starts as a guest, no form to fill in.
2. To play with friends, open a room and send the WhatsApp link — they join in one click, no account either.
3. Turn on your camera if you like, sow your seeds and capture more than your opponent.

One game, many names: oware, awale, wari, ayo

The game changes its name from one country to the next, not its rules. It is oware in Ghana and most of the English-speaking world, awale in Côte d'Ivoire and France, wari (or ouri, warri) in Senegal, Mali, The Gambia and the Caribbean, ayo in Nigeria and songo in Cameroon. All belong to the mancala family: two rows of six pits, forty-eight seeds, and the same sowing-and-capture rule. LudoAfrik plays the classic 4-seed version — the one you will find on a board in Accra or Dakar — with a faster 3-seed variant and an optional grand slam rule.

The rules of oware

Sowing

The board has two rows of six pits; each pit starts with 4 seeds. On your turn, empty one of your pits and sow the seeds one by one into the following pits, counter-clockwise, skipping the pit you started from if you go all the way round.

Capturing

If your last seed lands in an opponent's pit that then holds 2 or 3 seeds, you capture the whole pit. If the previous pit also holds 2 or 3, you capture it too, and so on backwards — a chain capture that can swing a game.

The golden rule: feed your opponent

Oware has a rare elegance: you are not allowed to starve the other player. If your opponent has no seeds left, you must play a move that gives them some; and a capture that would empty their whole side is cancelled. The first player to capture 25 seeds wins; with 24 each, it is a draw.

Strategy tips to win at oware

• Attack pits with 1 or 2 seeds: they are the ones that become capturable "2 or 3" pits. Count your seeds before you sow.
• Build a granary: pile many seeds into one of your pits; when the time comes, that long sowing crosses the whole enemy side and triggers chain captures.
• Do not leave your own 1-2 seed pits exposed: empty or refill them before your opponent harvests them.
• Look one move ahead: where does your last seed land, and what does the move offer your opponent next turn?
• Play with hunger: pushing the opponent towards an almost empty side limits their choices — they must survive instead of attacking.
• Count everything in the endgame: with few seeds in play, every sowing can be calculated exactly — the player who counts wins.

Why play oware on LudoAfrik?

LudoAfrik gathers the popular games of Africa — ludo, draughts, 151, oware, belote — playable for free and on video (camera and microphone) straight in the browser, on phone or computer. It is built for the diaspora: keep the atmosphere of the games back home, wherever you are in the world. Guests join a room in one click; an account is only there if you want to keep your XP and your friends.

▶️ Start an oware game — no sign-up

Frequently asked questions

Are oware, awale and wari the same game?

Yes. Oware (Ghana), awale (Côte d'Ivoire, France), wari (Senegal, Mali, Caribbean) and ayo (Nigeria) are regional names of the same two-row, 48-seed mancala game.

Can I play oware online without creating an account?

Yes. On LudoAfrik the game starts in one click as a guest; you can create an account later to keep your XP.

Is oware online free?

Yes, free with no installation, on mobile and desktop, against the computer or with friends on video.

Can I play oware with someone in another country?

Yes — that is the point. Open a room, send the link on WhatsApp, and play on video with family in Accra, Lagos, London or New York.

Go further (in French)

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