Oware Strategy: 6 Tips
Oware is arithmetic with teeth. Rules first? See how to play.
1. Count the landing pit
Every move is a sum: pit number plus seeds (minus one for a lap over twelve). Before you sow, know exactly where the last seed lands and what the pit will hold.
2. Ones and twos are bait
A pit of one or two on your row becomes a capture when the opponent's last seed lands there. Either empty such pits or make sure no enemy move can reach them.
3. Build a house
Leave one pit to grow while you play elsewhere. A house of fifteen or more seeds, sown at the right moment, drops a seed in every pit and can set up a chain of captures.
4. Chain thinking
A capture chain runs backwards from the landing pit. Look for an enemy row with several adjacent pits of one or two, then find the move whose last seed lands at the far end.
5. Starve and feed
Running your opponent out of seeds forces them into bad moves and can force you to feed them. Know the feeding rule: sometimes keeping a single seed on their side is the point.
6. The endgame
With few seeds, tempo decides: count who runs out of safe moves first, and remember that an unfed opponent hands you every seed left.
The hard computer searches six moves ahead on captured seeds and vulnerable pits; normal three; easy prefers an immediate capture.
Frequently asked questions
What is a house in Oware?
A pit where you accumulate many seeds, often twelve or more. Sowing it late in the game laps the whole board and can turn several of your opponent's pits into twos and threes at once for a big chain capture.
Last updated 2026-10-21