How to play Dara
Dara is a two-player strategy game from West Africa, played on a grid of 5 by 6 squares with 12 pieces each. First you place your pieces, then you move them one square at a time, trying to make a row of exactly three. Each row of three lets you take one of your opponent's pieces.
Step by step
Start with an empty grid
Each player has 12 pieces. The board has 30 squares, in 5 rows of 6.
Drop your pieces
Take turns placing one piece on any empty square until all 24 are down. Rows of three made now do not count.
Move one square
Then take turns moving one piece one square up, down, left or right into an empty square. No diagonal moves.
Make a row of three
If your move makes exactly three of your pieces in a straight line, across or down, you capture.
Take a piece
Remove any one of your opponent's pieces from the board.
Win the game
You win when your opponent can no longer make a row of three, usually because they have only two pieces left.
The full rules
What you need
Dara is played on a grid of 30 squares, 5 rows by 6 columns. In the traditional game, the squares are holes scooped in the sand. Each player has 12 pieces, often stones for one player and seeds or sticks for the other.
Setting up
The board starts empty. Decide who goes first.
Stage one: placing
Players take turns to place one of their pieces on any empty square. Carry on until all 24 pieces are on the board.
During this stage, making a row of three does not capture anything. Many players do not allow rows of three to be made while placing at all, so most people spread their pieces out. Agree this rule before you begin.
Stage two: moving
Once all the pieces are down, players take turns to move. On your turn:
- Choose one of your pieces.
- Move it one square up, down, left or right, into an empty square.
Pieces never move diagonally, and they cannot jump over other pieces.
Capturing
If your move makes a straight line of exactly three of your own pieces, across or down, you capture. Remove any one of your opponent’s pieces from the board.
Some important points:
- A line of four or more does not count.
- Diagonal lines do not count.
- You only capture when your move makes a new row. A row that was already there does not count again.
- You can break a row by moving a piece out, then move it back in on a later turn to make a new row and capture again.
Winning
You win when your opponent can no longer make a row of three. This usually happens when they have only two pieces left. In the common rules, a player who has no legal move on their turn also loses.
If the pieces go back and forth for a long time with nobody making a row, players usually agree to call the game a draw.
Common variants
Rules for Dara vary from village to village. In some versions, a row of three made in the placing stage does capture. In others, you may not move a piece back to the square it just left in your next turn. Some players capture by choosing a piece from a particular part of the board. The rules on this page are a good, widely used starting point.
Tips for beginners
- Place with care. The placing stage decides much of the game. Leave room for your pieces to move, and try to set up places where you could later make a row.
- Build a two-way row. A piece that can slide between two rows of three can capture on every other turn. Try to set one up.
- Block their rows. Watch for two of your opponent’s pieces in a line with a gap, and fill that gap if you can.
- Do not get boxed in. If your pieces have no room to move, you cannot make rows.
- Count the pieces. Once your opponent is close to two pieces, they will play very defensively. Keep up the pressure.
Common questions
Can I make a row of three while placing my pieces?
In the most common rules, rows made while placing do not capture, and many players do not allow them at all. Agree before you start.
Does a row of four count in Dara?
No. Only a line of exactly three pieces counts. Four or more in a row never captures.
Do diagonal lines count?
No. Rows of three must run straight across or straight down the board.
What is the difference between Dara and Derrah?
They are two spellings of the same game. It is also known by other local names across West Africa.
What if a player cannot move?
If a player has no legal move, they lose the game in the common rules. Some players treat this as a draw instead.
Where it comes from
Dara is a traditional game of West Africa and is thought to be especially associated with Nigeria and Niger, where it is played by the Hausa and other peoples. Boards are often made by scooping holes in the sand, with stones or seeds as pieces. It is part of a wider family of row-making games played across the region.
