Customer Reviews

Classic Wooden Mancala Game Board

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This product claims to be "crafted with the care and attention of a cherished heirloom", with game pieces "of the highest quality", that store in "a wooden box" and "a top grain suede pouch". While the game functions and is a lot of fun, the claims about its construction are a load of bull. The box is framed in slats of pine, about what you'd expect an orange crate to be made of. The frame is rough and ours had jagged gobs of glue in the inside corners. The playing base is medium density fiberboard with wood veneer - not solid wood. The pouch is made of microfiber fabric, sort of a faux suede. How this company gets away with such outright lies about the product's construction, which it clearly prides itself on, is beyond me. What's more amazing is that people who bought the game actually seem to believe the claims!

This Mancala board is great.

To summarize quickly:

"This board is excellent quality. It has an aged look that makes it seem more like a piece of art than a gaming board. Quality wood and quality paint work that doesn't look like it was stamped out by a machine assembly line. The pouch which holds the manacala stones is a great additive which adds to the overall look of his manacal board"

It looks a little more aged than the picture does which I think is appropriate for a game that has been around since BC.

The board itself looks to be made of actual wood. Not sure what kind but it definitely isn't that cheap plastic wood that you usually see nowadays.

The locking mechanism they speak of is just a pouch with a leather strap that is intertwined around the top. The pouch is also attached to the top of the board.

The board is also appropriately sized and the slots are as well

When they described the locking mechanism I though it would be a compartment on the side of the board. I was slightly dissapointed to learn it was only a pouch.

The pouch is sturdy and it adds to the overall aged look. Hung on the wall it looks like a piece of art.

I chose this for my adult daughter who has been playing Mancala for quite some time. The board is beautiful and durable - it's so beautiful it doesn't need to be put away when the game is finished.

We are going to have a great time with this game! It is so much better than our homemade version we were using...an egg carton and marbles. The board is large, the wells are easy to get the glass stones out of and it works great! The glass stones are very pretty and ours came in red, yellow, blue and green. Cool game!

I purchased this game based on the description of the quality construction, which for the most part, was validated(?) by many reviews. I was extremely disappointed with the reality. Wood construction? No, I would call it compressed wood dust...not even sawdust. I didn't even find the painting to be aesthetically pleasing. The picture of the game at Amazon does not depict the reality/poor quality of the product. Mancala is a great game...find another board, not this one. Lastly, I will state that indeed, you can hang this, as indicated, on a wall. unfortunately, my walls would not accomodate a product such as this one.

Mancala is my favorite game, and I am very impressed with the quality and originality of the Melissa & Doug board.. but unfortunately mine was delivered damaged. It's a great product otherwise.

This mancala set was reasonably priced and very unique.. The design is made to look like a vintage game and it is very attractive.. the mancala stones that come with it are perfect for the hole size in the board..super value!

I played this game as child in an egg cart with beans. Melissa & Doug's version is a beautiful hand painted creation and just as fun to play as I remember only it looks fantastic and very well made.

This is certainly a well crafted Mancala game Set. The board itself is sanded, hand-painted and looks aged. The players cups and mancala cups are nicely sized and become even smoother after several game sessions.

Attached to the board is a rawhide/suede sack that holds the stones. I like this feature as it keeps everything together. But what I was surprised to learn is that it is also design to be hung on a wall! It worked well with my furnishings and makes it a great conversation starter, then onto playing the game. Brilliant.

This is a game that can be played by all ages/ just revise it a bit for the younger crowd **once they're big enough to trust not to eat the markers! The strategy keeps even the most competitive players interested :) LOTS of FUN!