Lesotho Variant of Morabaraba
Koti
The mountain kingdom's 25-point board, with a live centre point and its own set of capture rules.
Koti is the name for Lesotho's Morabaraba — a distinct regional variant, played and taught across the mountain kingdom, sharing its core idea with every Morabaraba variant: place, move, and fly pieces to form mills and capture your opponent's cattle.
Where it differs is the board and the rules that follow from it. Koti's board has 25 points, including a live centre square (D4) that Traditional doesn't use. Blocking an opponent's move is mandatory rather than optional, and mills don't protect the pieces inside them — any piece on the board can be captured once a mill is formed.
Common Questions
What is Koti?
Koti is the Lesotho variant of Morabaraba, played on a 25-point board with an active centre point and its own capture rules.
Is Koti the same game as Morabaraba?
Yes — Koti is a regional variant of Morabaraba, the same way Traditional is. They share the same core idea but differ in board size and specific rules.
What makes Koti different from Traditional Morabaraba?
Koti uses 25 points with a live centre, makes blocking mandatory, and allows any piece to be captured. Traditional uses 24 points with no centre and protects pieces inside a mill.
Can I play Koti online for free?
Yes — play free against the computer or challenge other players online, no sign-up required to start.
Looking for the other regional variant?
Read about Traditional (the South African variant)