How to play Ludo
Ludo is a race game for 2 to 4 players. Each player has four tokens. The goal is to bring all four tokens around the board and into the centre before anyone else.
- Leaving the base: you need to roll a 6 to bring a token onto the board.
- Moving: roll the die and move one token that many squares clockwise.
- Extra turns: you roll again after a 6, after capturing, and after getting a token home. Three 6s in a row lose your turn.
- Capturing: landing on a single opponent token sends it back to its base. Squares with a star and the coloured start squares are safe.
- Getting home: after a full lap your token turns into its coloured home column. You need the exact number to reach the centre.
Ludo game modes
Ludo has many house rules, so you can pick the rule set before you play. All modes share the core rules above.
- Classic: the standard game described above.
- Arrow Boost: eight arrow squares sit on the track. If a token ends its move exactly on an arrow, it is shot 4 squares forward. The boost happens once, can capture where the token lands, and never carries a token into the home column.
- Hunter (capture to go home): you cannot enter your home column until you have captured at least one opponent token. Until then, tokens that reach the end of the lap keep going round the board again. One capture unlocks home for all your tokens.
- Arrows + Hunter: both rule sets together.
Tips to win
- Use safe squares to park tokens when opponents are close behind.
- Capture whenever it is safe. It costs your opponent a lot of progress.
- Do not rush one token. Spreading your moves keeps your options open.
- Save small rolls for exact finishes in the home column.