Matrila: Matrix Mancala

A board game based on mancala and chess/checkers

Board: a 7x7 matrix of indented "pits"

Pieces: Each player has a set of 32 stones in their color. One is player is black, one player is white.

Each player has two home rows (like chess), with a layout of stones in each pit such that:

1,2,3,4,3,2,1
1,2,3,4,3,2,1
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
1,2,3,4,3,2,1
1,2,3,4,3,2,1

You pick up the stones and deposit them, like in mancala - if you have one stone you move it one space and drop it. If you have two, you move it one space (vertical or horizontal) drop a stone, then move one more space and drop that stone...

You can choose, if you are on an already occupied space of yours, to deposit all the stones there, or continue. But if you are in an empty space, you must continue moving until you deposit all your stones (i.e. the last stone or land on an occupied spot) -- that is to say, if you have three stones, and move one space, and there's already a stone there, you can drop all three stones into that spot.

You can capture your opponents stones by landing on their space with more stones than they have.

The goal is to capture as many of your opponents stones as possible.