How to play Ludo

Each player has four tokens waiting in their coloured base. The aim is to move all four around the board and into the centre before anyone else.

Getting out. You need to roll a 6 to move a token out of your base onto your coloured start square.
Moving. Tokens travel clockwise around the outer track by the number on the dice. You choose which token to move.
Going home. After nearly a full lap, a token turns into your coloured home column and on to the centre. You need the exact number to finish.
Winning. The first player with all four tokens in the centre wins.

Captures and safe squares

If your token lands on a square with an opponent's token, their token is sent back to their base and has to roll a 6 to come out again. Capturing also earns you an extra roll.

Squares marked with a star, and every player's coloured start square, are safe squares. Tokens on a safe square cannot be captured, so tokens of different colours can share them.

Extra turns

Rolling a 6 gives you another roll.
Capturing an opponent gives you another roll.
Moving a token into the centre gives you another roll.
Rolling three 6s in a row ends your turn straight away.

Controls

Tap the dice (or press Space) to roll. If more than one token can move, the movable ones glow: tap the one you want, or press 1 to 4. If only one move is possible, it happens automatically.

Strategy tips

Get at least two tokens out early. With only one token on the board, you are forced to move it even when that is risky.
Count the squares behind you. An opponent one to six squares behind your token can capture it with a single roll.
Park on safe squares when rivals are close, and wait for them to pass.
A token in your home column can never be captured, so push one home when the track gets crowded.
The computer players love a capture. Leaving a token as bait one square ahead of a safe square can pull them off their path.

Questions

Can I play Ludo with friends here?

Not yet. Ludo Park is currently you against computer players. Online play with friends is on our list.

How smart are the computer players?

They think about captures, safe squares and danger before every move, with a little randomness so no two games are the same. They are a fair challenge, not unbeatable.

Is Ludo the same as Parcheesi or Pachisi?

They come from the same family. Pachisi is the old Indian game that Ludo and Parcheesi are based on. Ludo uses one die and the simpler rules described above.