About Ô Ăn Quan
Ô Ăn Quan is a traditional Vietnamese sowing game played on a board of small squares (citizens) and two large half-circles (mandarins). Players sow pebbles and capture the contents of a square when the pattern is right. The highest total — with mandarins worth the most — wins.
How to play
- Pick up the pebbles from one of your squares and sow them one by one.
- Choose the sowing direction at the start of your move.
- When the square after your last pebble is empty, you capture the next square’s pebbles.
- The game ends when the mandarin squares are empty; most points wins.
Tips & strategy
- Plan sowings that end just before a full square to capture it.
- Protect the mandarin squares — they are worth the most.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ô Ăn Quan?
A classic Vietnamese two-player sowing-and-capturing board game, similar in spirit to Mancala.