Awale is a traditional game with simple rules and many tactical possibilities. These are the Awale rules played on Yucata.
Board and objective
Each player owns one row of six pits. Every pit starts with four seeds. Capture more seeds than your opponent to win.
1. Choose a pit and sow
Take all seeds from one of your non-empty pits. Sow one seed into each following pit, counterclockwise, on both sides of the board. If you complete a circuit, always skip the pit you started from: it remains empty.
Example: A6 distributes four seeds. The opposite row is read from right to left.
2. Harvest two or three
If the last seed lands in an opposing pit that now holds exactly two or three seeds, capture them. Continue backwards through the preceding opposing pits while each also holds two or three. Stop at your own row, or at a pit with any other number of seeds.
A chain capture: B3, then B2, then B1 yield seven seeds.
Two restrictions- If your opponent's row is empty, you must choose a move that puts at least one seed on their side.
- A move that would capture all the opponent's seeds is forbidden. You cannot choose it and simply waive the capture.
When the game ends
- A player has captured at least 25 seeds.
- The next player has no legal move. Each player collects the seeds remaining in their own row.
The higher total wins; equal totals are a draw. There is no automatic repetition rule in this version. The standard draw offer remains available.
Playing on Yucata
Your row appears below the opponent's row. A1–A6 belong to player A, B1–B6 to player B; these labels stay stable in the log and replay. Scores show captured seeds. The exact seed count is always printed inside each pit.
Choose a highlighted pit. Hover over it or focus it with the keyboard for a sowing preview. You may undo before confirming with the standard finish-turn button. A green outline marks the last chosen pit; dashed rims mark captured pits. Select a pit label in the log to locate it on the board.
Automa+ searches ahead using these same rules. It plays a normal training opponent, without extra pieces or rule changes.