Togyzkumalak - Kazakh Nine Balls
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About this game
Togyzkumalak is the national game of Kazakhstan, called the algebra of shepherds, and this version follows the official rules. Eighteen holes start with nine balls each, one hundred sixty two in total. Tap one of your holes and its balls are sown counter-clockwise, the first ball dropping back into the emptied hole, while a lone ball jumps straight to the next hole. Land your last ball in an opponent hole and make it even to capture the whole pile. Make it exactly three and the hole becomes your tuzdik, a marked source that feeds you for the rest of the game, one per player and never on the ninth hole. The moment anyone holds more than half of all balls the game ends, and a player with no sowing moves hands the remaining balls to their rival. A sharp single player engine with three levels, a two player mode on one screen, and full history with undo. Your best score stays on your device.
How to play
Tap any hole on your row that holds balls. The sow runs by itself. Undo rolls the whole move back and Hint asks the engine.
Tips & Tricks
- Count the holes you can turn even. Capturing four beats spreading thin.
- A tuzdik on a busy opponent hole pays every single turn, hunt for the count of two.
- Leave your own holes odd so the rival cannot capture them.
- Watch the total. The game can end the instant one kazan passes eighty one.
Frequently asked questions
Which rules does the game follow?
The official ones. Nine balls per hole, sow including the emptied hole, a lone ball jumps ahead, last ball into an even opponent hole captures it, exactly three makes a tuzdik with the classic restrictions, eighty two or more balls wins, and a player who cannot move gives the remaining balls to the player whose side they sit on.
What is a tuzdik exactly?
A marked hole you own on the rival side. Every ball that lands there is yours, swept into your kazan. You may make only one per game, never on the rival ninth hole, and not on the hole that mirrors a rival tuzdik.
How hard is the computer?
Easy plays loose and random, Medium counts captures one move ahead, Hard checks your best answer before committing. All levels run entirely on your device.
Is there a two player mode?
Yes. Pass the phone and play the full official rules against a friend, with the same undo and hint tools available to both sides.
