Ludo
The classic board game – roll, move, and knock out your opponents!
How to Play
Goal
Move all 4 of your pieces from home to the finish area. The first player to do so wins.
Rolling
Roll a 6 to move a piece from home onto the board. Rolling a 6 grants you an extra turn.
Capturing
If you land on a space occupied by an opponent’s piece, it is sent back to their home.
Finishing
Your pieces must land exactly on a finish slot. Excess moves are forfeited.
Strategy & tips
Get several pieces onto the board early. With only one piece in play every roll is forced — you must move even when the move parks you right in front of an opponent. From three pieces onward you almost always have a choice, and the choice is where all the tactics live.
The six most dangerous squares are those immediately in front of an opponent's starting square. Every roll that brings out a new enemy piece hits you there. Do not linger, even if leaving means taking an apparently worse move.
Count backwards from home. A piece a few squares short of the entrance to its home column is worth more than one further ahead that still has half the board to cross. Better to bring pieces all the way home than to advance four of them evenly.
Capturing is not always right. Knock out an opponent just short of home and you make an enemy, and you are often left exposed yourself. Weigh whether the distance gained is worth the counterattack.
Variants
Three attempts
A player with no piece on the board may roll three times to find a six. This shortens sluggish openings considerably.
Safe squares
Marked squares protect against capture. It takes pace out of the game and rewards planning ahead.
Blockade
Two of your own pieces on one square block the path for everyone else. A well-placed blockade can decide an entire game.
How it works
1. Create a game
Click "Create Game" and receive a 6-digit code.
2. Share the code
Share the code with your friends – via WhatsApp, Telegram, or just tell them.
3. Play instantly
Your friends enter the code and you start playing immediately. No login required!
Origin
The origin lies in India with Pachisi, played as far back as the Mughal era. At Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar the Great is said to have had a board laid into the courtyard and used people as playing pieces.
In 1896 a simplified version was patented in England under the name Ludo, Latin for I play. From there it spread into countless national variants, differing mainly in how pieces enter play and whether safe squares exist.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a six to start?
Yes, a piece only enters the board on a six. Rolling a six also earns you another roll.
What happens if I land on an opponent?
Their piece is captured and returns to its home. It then needs another six to re-enter.
How many players can join?
Two to four. Four is the liveliest, because far more capturing happens.
How long does a game take?
Usually twenty to forty minutes. The three-attempts rule makes it noticeably quicker.