Ludo
Ludo is a dice race around a cross-shaped board, and the first player to march all four tokens into the middle wins. Along the way you can knock rival tokens back to their starting corner.
This version tells the four sides apart by shape, using filled circles, rings, squares and triangles, so it stays clear on any screen. Fill empty seats with computer players on Easy, Medium or Hard, or use hotseat mode and pass the device around. It loads in a normal browser tab, which makes it easy on a Chromebook.
How to play Ludo
Each side has four tokens sitting in a corner base. Roll on your turn and move one token forward by the number shown. Only a 6 can bring a token out of base, and rolling a 6 earns another roll. Three 6s in a row, though, ends your turn.
Tokens go clockwise around the outer track, then branch into their own home column leading to the center. You need the exact number to finish. Land on a lone rival token anywhere except a safe square and it goes back to base.
Two of your tokens on one square make a block that no rival can land on or pass. Safe squares are marked with diamonds, and every color's starting square is safe too. Above the board, a tally tracks the finished tokens for every player.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll | — | Click Roll | Tap Roll |
| Move a token | Tab to the token's square (arrows move around the board), Enter | Click the token | Tap the token |
| Take back | — | Click Undo | Tap Undo |
| Set up a game | — | Choose mode, players, token and level, then New game | Choose options, then New game |
| Quit the game | — | Click Resign | Tap Resign |
Tips
- Try to have two or three tokens on the track. More tokens out means more choices for each roll and more chances to capture.
- A token resting on a diamond or on a start square cannot be captured, so park there when a rival is close behind.
- Blocks are powerful against a player who is nearly home. Two tokens stacked in their path can stall them for several turns.
- Any rival within six squares behind you can hit you next roll. Stepping out of that range is often smarter than pushing your lead token.
- Keep a spare token in play near the end. When a roll is too big for your finishing token, you can spend it elsewhere.
If you like Ludo, try these
Snakes and LaddersFamily dice racing in its simplest form: roll, climb ladders, slide down snakes and be first to reach the top.
Royal Game of UrSending rivals back to start is a big part of this ancient race too, with rosettes that give you safe squares.
Questions
Do you need a 6 to start in Ludo?
Yes. A token can only leave its base on a roll of 6, and that 6 also gives you a bonus roll.
Can I play Ludo with friends on one device?
Yes. Local hotseat mode lets two to four people share one screen and take turns rolling. Pick vs Computer instead if you want bots in the empty seats.
What happens if you roll three sixes in a row in Ludo?
Here a third straight 6 costs you the turn, a popular house rule. It stops one lucky streak from deciding the game.
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