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My handmade ash wood Bao board with jade stones.
Hand made bao game (in ebony wood) from Zanzibar
Bao at ModCon '08
Close-up of bao cover (ebony wood)
Bao from Stonetown, Zanzibar. Uses seeds as playing pieces. Definitely the best smelling game in my collection.

Bao (0)

Players
2
Best: 2
Playing time
40–40 min
Age
0+
6.71
Average rating
214
Ratings
3.44/5
Weight
#10015
BGG rank
Outside top 5,000
Alternate names:Bawo +2 more
Designer:(Uncredited)
Publisher:(Public Domain) +6 more
Average rating, ratings count, weight and rank are sourced from BoardGameGeek (BGG).
Game DNA
  • This game: Strategy 5, Luck 5, Interaction 5, Complexity 6.9, Theme 3
Strategy5.0
Luck5.0
Interaction5.0
Complexity6.9
Theme3.0

This game's strategy, luck, interaction, complexity and theme.

Abstract StrategyAncientMancala

Overview

Bao is an abstract strategy game from East Africa, especially Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. It is generally reckoned to be the most complicated of the Mancala family games that are played in many parts of Africa.

On a Bao board each player has two rows of 8 holes, into which counters (seeds) are placed. Moves are made by taking more than one seed and 'sowing' them along the row of holes. Depending on where the last seed is placed, you can take the seeds from that hole and continue the sowing, possibly capturing seeds from your opponent in the process. The aim of the game is to empty your opponent's front row of seeds or make it impossible for them to move.

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