Squid MagGamegbee

Traditional · 3 names · played in 5 countries

Morabaraba, Sidjé and the three-in-a-row games

Twelve pieces each, often called cows, and one aim: line up three of your own. Every line lets you take one of your opponent's pieces.

How it is played

Morabaraba

  1. The board is three squares, one inside another, joined by lines. Each player has twelve pieces.
  2. Take turns placing a piece on an empty point. Three of yours in a line, a mill, lets you remove one of your opponent's pieces that is not in a mill.
  3. When all the pieces are down, take turns sliding a piece along a line to the next empty point. Every new mill takes another piece.
  4. With only three pieces left, you may jump to any empty point. Bring your opponent down to two pieces to win.

As Ludii ↗ records it, a research database of traditional games. Rules differ from place to place, and players know them best.

Where it is played, and what it is called

NamePlayed inWhat the sources saySource
Morabaraba
also Umlabalaba, Mmela
South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, EswatiniPlayed competitively in South Africa and Lesotho under tournament rules.africanpedia.com ↗ ludii.games ↗
Koti
also Moraba-raba
LesothoA 25-point board with a live centre point and its own capture rules. Lesotho's police included Moraba-raba in their indigenous games programme.morabaraba.co.za ↗ lena.gov.ls ↗
Sidjé
also Dalley, Yaré, Gouzzi
ChadThirty holes dug in sand, five by six, and twelve pieces each; lining up three scores. Reported in 2014 as Chad's most popular traditional game.aa.com.tr ↗

How sure are we

  • Names and places: each one has a source
  • Rules: from a research database, not yet from players
  • Checked with players: not yet

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