FOSSPicks
Mancala game
Aualé
Oware is a wonderfully deep and satisfying board game that contains more strategy than its simplistic layout and rules might imply, and it is a member of the much larger group of mancala – also called count-and-capture – games. The game itself is based around a horizontal board with two parallel rows of six indented pockets and longer vertical indented stores (called the mancala) to the left and right of these rows. Each row is for one of the two players, and into each the pockets are placed seven small seeds. The victor is the player who captures the most seeds from these pockets and places them in their store, and the end game is triggered when 24 or more seeds have been captured. AualÈ is a graphical interface for playing Oware, which has three different phases of gameplay, with the first being collecting and redistributing the seeds from one of the pockets. This is all handled automatically by the games engine after you select a location.
The next phase is where you need to capture the seeds by redistributing seeds into a pocket with either two or three seeds. When this happens, you capture the entire contents of that pocket and place those seeds into your store. It's a little like checkers with fewer squares and more pieces, and while it only takes a moment to learn, there's plenty of subtle strategy to grapple with. AualÈ helps with this by offering four computer playing levels, from easy to expert, and you can play as either side or with a human opponent. There's also an undo and redo option, as well as the ability to save a game and come back to it later. The documentation is excellent, with a guide on how to play that includes animations and even a strategy and tactics page that can help you improve your skill.
Project Website
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.
-
ZorinOS 17.1 Released, Includes Improved Windows App Support
If you need or desire to run Windows applications on Linux, there's one distribution intent on making that easier for you and its new release further improves that feature.
-
Linux Market Share Surpasses 4% for the First Time
Look out Windows and macOS, Linux is on the rise and has even topped ChromeOS to become the fourth most widely used OS around the globe.
-
KDE’s Plasma 6 Officially Available
KDE’s Plasma 6.0 "Megarelease" has happened, and it's brimming with new features, polish, and performance.
-
Latest Version of Tails Unleashed
Tails 6.0 is based on Debian 12 and includes GNOME 43.
-
KDE Announces New Slimbook V with Plenty of Power and KDE’s Plasma 6
If you're a fan of KDE Plasma, you'll be thrilled to hear they've announced a new Slimbook with an AMD CPU and the latest version of KDE Plasma desktop.
-
Monthly Sponsorship Includes Early Access to elementary OS 8
If you want to get a glimpse of what's in the pipeline for elementary OS 8, just set up a monthly sponsorship to help fund its continued existence.