Board Games

Mancala variations explained: Kalah, Oware, Bao and more. How the world’s oldest board game family differs by region, and which version to try.

How to play Mancala: the board, the setup, sowing stones, capturing, and the free-turn rule — everything a beginner needs to play the classic count game.

Nine Men’s Morris rules and strategy explained: place, move, and fly your men, form mills to capture, and learn tactics to win this classic two-player game.

The best two-player abstract strategy board games ranked by depth and learning curve: Go, chess, Othello, Hex, and more, with tips on which to pick.

How to play Chinese Checkers: the board, the rules, how pieces move and hop, and simple strategy to get all your marbles home first and win.

The best two-player board games for strategy fans: chess, checkers, backgammon, Go and more — what makes each great and which to try first.