Popular Games from Ghana: A Celebration of Tradition and Fun

Nov 14, 2025 0

Games are an important part of life in Ghana. They help build relationships and are a great way to pass the time together. It was also a great way for us to gain rapport with the locals by having a reason for hanging around. I’m sure that after reading the headline, you’re reminiscing about the games you played as a child. These are the games that had you leaving home every weekend to join your friends and returning only when you were thirsty or hungry. The games that made you rush home after school to be with your friends.

In celebration of our Games night, it was only right to make a post about some popular Ghanaian games. Some of these games had us crying due to the consequences of losing and others had us playing to the break of dawn. To think my children will never experience half of what I did playing these games is unfortunate but hopefully this post will be a reminder for those that were not lucky enough to experience this!

Before technology became dominant in Ghanaian homes, these nostalgic games fostered unity among families and communities. They even helped groom leaders, as participants took on leadership roles in these games. However, with the rise of technology, many of these games are losing their relevance. Today’s kids are glued to ‘borrowed’ foreign games like FIFA, Candy Crush, Grand Theft Auto, Swing, and others.

"Technology is the greatest thing to ever happen to our generation but in some way, it has also ruined all the fun we used to have growing up." With all that being said, here is a list of some memorable Ghanaian games:

A Glimpse into Traditional Ghanaian Games

Basic Oware Rules for Beginners

1. Oware

Oware, also known as Mancala, is a popular board game in Ghana. If you have not learned how to play Oware you are in in for a treat. It is a game with simple rules and complex strategies. Oware is a Mancala style game that is very popular in Ghana and parts of the Caribbean. So whether you play with a friend, online, or in one of the international tournaments, it is time to try Oware. It’s a strategic game played with seeds or stones on a board with shallow pits. The objective is to capture your opponent’s seeds by strategically moving them around the board. Originally, Oware was played on the ground with twelve holes dug into the earth (two rows with six holes each). Today, it’s often made from wood and is portable for easy transport.

Read also: Ancient Egyptian Mahjong Solitaire

Oware game start position

How to play Oware:

To decide who goes first, one player holds a seed in there fist.
When a player picks a pit with so many seeds that he or she an complete a full lap around the boar, the original pit is skipped and the stone is played in the next pit.
If the last seed is sown in the opponent’s row ( the row closest to the opponent)and that pit now has 2 or 3 stones, those stones are captured.
If a player cannot play because all six pits are empty, the game ends and all the seeds on the other side of the board are captured by the other player.
A player may capture all the opponents stones thus leaving the player with no move and therefore also capturing all the remaining stones in the there row.

2. Dame

The second important game at our house was Dame. This was “the game of kings” according to the locals, and is mostly played among the old men in the village. Dame is like Ghanaian checkers, but a lot faster with a lot more strategy. In the beginning of our field study we would go up to the Cocoa House and learn the rules by watching the elder men of the village play. Later I played with some local kids, got my butt kicked, but still had a great time even though we did not understand a word of the other’s language. We spent hours playing that game, and that is how I made a lot of my neighborhood friends. Eventually I got to the point where I could win without help from the men at the cocoa house, and by the end of my field study I passed the ultimate test. I beat Chase. Twice.

3. Pilolo

Pilolo is an ‘energetic’ traditional game that involves running around, paying attention to detail, and record-keeping. This is basically a game of hide and seek but with sticks. The moderator hides small pieces of sticks depending on the number of players. The players then search for the sticks and whoever finds the shortest stick is out of the game. Now out of all the games this is the one I find most exciting.

The objective is simple: one participant hides sticks that serve as treasure while the others either close their eyes or leave the scene. The hider then shouts "pi-lo-lo," signaling the others to search for the hidden items. A finishing point is indicated where participants must run, touch it, and return to the hider with the sticks. The winner is recorded based on the highest number of sticks found.

4. Zanzama

Also known as the knocking game is not one for the faint hearted. This one is for the hard guys. Forgetting to say Zanzama could leave you with a migraine. If you were a player and sat down without saying Zanzama, the players would have the right to give you a heavy knock on your head.

5. Alasa

Who remembers the fruit Alasa? Well, after eating it, the seed from the fruit is used to play this game. A hole is dug and with your finger, you must try and knock seeds into the hole from a distance. P.S - This fruits also turns into chewing gum :)

6. Chem-Pe

Now this game is funny. The name of the game means “to share equally” so you could take a wild guess where the game's heading to. Now if you love your food like I do, please avoid playing this game at all cost. The rule of the game is that whenever a player has food and doesn’t exclaim “No Chem pe” to his/her fellow players, he/she risks splitting their meal equally. This gets worse if there a lot of players.

7. Alikoto

Now this game may bring some bad memories for you if you’ve ever played it. It is played with a spinning top made out of a pen top and old tiger head batteries. If it spun and did not land flat on your go you would end up being hit on the back of your hand.

8. Chaskele

Known to many as “Ghana Cricket” involves a flattened can, sticks used as a bats and a rimless car tyre. The tyre is laid flat on the ground with the hole used as a goal post for the cans to be tossed in. The game also has a defender that hits away the cans trying to get into the hole, making it harder for players. Ingenious right?!

9. Toli

"Toli" is a Ghanaian folk game centered around storytelling, usually enjoyed around a fireside. The storyteller must be humorous, exaggerating, and creative, ending the tale with a moral lesson. Most of these stories are usually carved.

10. Aanto W'akyire

Aanto W'akyire is an Akan folklore game that requires participants to stay alert. They sit in a circle while a moderator runs behind them with an object, singing a folklore song "aanto w'akyire" while clapping. The moderator secretly drops the object behind one of the participants. If the participant notices it, they pick it up and chase the moderator. If they fail to see it, the moderator lightly taps them until they pick it up and run to become the new moderator. The game continues until all participants decide to stop.

11. "Sansankroma"

"Sansankroma," derived from the Akan language meaning "roaming hawk," is an outdoor game typically played at night after storytelling by a bonfire. It can be played by both genders. In this game, participants squat in a circle while passing a rock to each other quickly, singing the "sansankroma" song. If a participant fails to pass the rock and accumulates two or more in front of them, they are exited from the game.

12. "Bambamamlika"

"Bambamamlika" is a Ghanaian folk game played by both genders. Participants stand in a circle with a moderator inside. The moderator runs around the circle, pointing at each participant as they sing the "Bambamamlika" song. When the song ends, the participants in front of the moderator must dance with them. That participant then becomes the new moderator, and the process continues until the game ends.

Preserving Ghanaian Games for Future Generations

Parents should play these games with their children on weekends or holidays to help preserve this dying culture. This fosters unity and communication within families. The Ghana Education Service (GES) should incorporate these games into the curriculum, allowing students to play them during recreational time.