Mancala Game

Download and extract software:mancala:mancala.zip. Execute mancala.exe in the extracted Mancala folder.

Click on the buttons with numbers on them, they represent bins with beads in them. You can change options about rules and computer play.

THE REAL GAME: The buttons represent the bins carved into a wooden block, and the numbers represent the stones placed in these bins.

2 PLAYERS: Player1 controls the bottom row of bins and has the store on the right, player2 controls the top row, and owns the other store.

MOVE: On your turn, you take the stones in one of your six bins; and drop them one by one, starting with the next bin or store, proceeding counter-clockwise. [option: you do not drop into opponent's store.]

FREE MOVE: If the last stone lands in your store, you go again. * STEAL: If the last stone lands in an empty space on your side, you take the stones that are across from it on your opponent's side, and put them into your store. [option: you steal the piece that landed in the empty space.]

END: When all the bins on one side become empty, the game ends. * RESULT: Whoever has more stones in his/her/its store, wins.

This program is written using MSVC 6.0, as an excercise, while learning MFC and practicing my AI skills.

The search engine uses an Alpha-Beta Pruned Search Algorithm.

The evaluation function for a position is the difference in the stores, plus the maximum possible immediate gains, before the opponent gets his turn.

To simulate the human play, a randomness variable is introduced for selection of moves. When randomness=0, a move is selected among only the best moves. As randomness increases, the good moves loose weight.

When the auto-adjust option is on, the computer adjusts its strength in order to minimize the difference b/w the storages.

This is a single-threaded application. So, do not expect to get a response from your mouse inputs while the engine is searching.