The oldest game with many names…

N C H O B O A R D 0 1 is a mancala board named after what the Igbo people call it - ncholokoto.

Inspired by the vast approaches to board design across Africa, N C H O 0 1 takes cues from Igbo woodcarving legacy. The first prototype, milled from strong iroko, disguises itself as a sculptural piece when closed. Scarification lines carved into the wood show you just where to open it.

Seed Archives is a research library and community space stewarding African and Caribbean culture (objects and literature) in North London. The N C H O 0 1 prototype was displayed and played with at Seed’s pop-up library in the making room space at London Design Festival 2024. To celebrate Seed’s dedication to keeping the spirit of play alive, the first board was donated to the space for future game nights.

More details coming soon