Ludo — race your four tokens home
How to play Ludo
Ludo is the old race game — known as Pachisi, and loved across Pakistan and India. Each player has four tokens waiting in their corner. Roll the dice, bring them out, run them all the way round the board, and get all four home before anyone else.
- Tap the dice to throw it. Your own corner is the one nearest you, at the bottom left.
- You need a six to bring a token out onto your starting square.
- A six earns another throw, and the throws add up. Stop throwing and you play them one by one — 6, 6 and 3 is three moves, and they can all be the same token.
- Three sixes in a row and the whole turn is lost. None of those throws may be played.
- Tokens move clockwise. Land on a square holding another colour and that token goes back to its corner, and you throw again — unless the square has a star, which is safe.
- You cannot turn for home until you have sent an opponent back. A lock beside your name shows when you still have to.
- After a full lap your tokens turn up your own coloured path, and reaching the middle needs the exact number.
- First player with all four tokens in the middle wins.
Tips
- Get two or three tokens out early. One token alone is easy to catch and gives you nothing to choose between.
- Rest on the stars. Nothing can be sent home from a starred square, so they are worth a slower move.
- Count the six squares behind you. If an opponent sits within six, you are one throw from being sent home.
- Sending a token home earns another throw — often worth more than the distance you give up.
- Do not rush the last token in. You need an exact number for the middle, so keep a short gap rather than overshooting.
Questions about Ludo
Can I play Ludo against the computer?
Yes. Choose "vs Computer" and pick 2, 3 or 4 players — you play the red tokens and the computer plays the rest.
Can I play with friends and family on one phone?
Yes. Choose "Pass & play" and hand the phone to the next player when their turn comes. It works with 2, 3 or 4 players.
Is this Ludo free?
Yes, completely free, with no account and nothing to install. It is paid for by the ads on the home page and on the screen shown after a game ends.
Can I play Ludo offline?
Yes. Once the page has loaded once, it keeps working with no internet connection.
Is the game saved if I close the page?
Yes. The board and whose turn it is are kept in your browser, so you can carry on where you left off.
Why can I not bring a token home?
Because you have not sent an opponent back yet. In this version, as in the way the game is usually played here, a player must capture at least one token before any of theirs may turn for home. The lock beside your name disappears once you have.
What is the two dice game?
Tap "Two dice" and you throw both dice at once, giving two numbers to play as two separate moves — on one token or on two. Only two sixes together earn another throw; a six beside any other number is just a six and a number to play. Three double sixes in a row lose the turn, the same as three sixes with one die.
Which colour do I play?
Against the computer you play the corner nearest you, at the bottom left, so your tokens are always under your thumb. In pass and play you choose which colours are in the game.
Do I need a six to start?
Yes. A token only leaves your corner on a six, and a six also earns you another throw.
What are the starred squares?
They are safe squares. A token standing on a star cannot be sent home, and every player's starting square is one of them.