Dara (1800)

Dara

Dara is a two-player abstract strategy board game played in several countries of West Africa, including Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina Faso. It is an alignment game related to tic-tac-toe, but far more complex. The game was invented in the 19th century or earlier and is also known as derrah.

Why is Dara Popular?

Dara is a popular game in West Africa, played by the Dakarkari people in Nigeria and the Zarma in Niger. It is significant because it is a traditional game that has been played for generations and is an important part of the cultural heritage of the region.

Game Components of Dara

A 5×6 square board. 12 pieces for each player. Any two colors can be used for the pieces.

Game Setup of Dara

The board is empty in the beginning. Players take turns placing their stones onto the empty cells of the square board. One player plays Black and the other plays White.

Gameplay Mechanics of Dara

Players decide among themselves who starts first. The game is played in two phases: the Drop phase and the Move phase. In the Drop phase, players take turns placing their pieces on the board. In the Move phase, players take turns moving their pieces around the board, trying to form rows of three. When a player forms a row of three, they can capture an enemy piece. The first player reduced to two pieces loses the game.

Game Objective of Dara

The objective of Dara is to form three-in-a-rows and eliminate enough of your opponent’s pieces so that they can no longer form three-in-a-rows.

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