Ludo · Rules guide
Ludo rules: how to play
Roll a six to come out, race clockwise round the cross, send rivals back to their yard, and get all four tokens home on an exact roll — plus the optional rules everybody argues about.
The short answer
- Each player races four tokens clockwise around a shared 52-square track into their home column.
- You need a 6 to bring a token out of the yard, and a 6 always gives you another roll.
- Landing on a rival token sends it back to its yard — except on start squares and starred safe squares.
- The home column is safe, and entering the centre requires an exact roll.
- Ludo descends from Indian pachisi; Parcheesi, Parchís and Mensch ärgere Dich nicht are its cousins.
The board and the object
Ludo is a race. Each player has four tokens waiting in a coloured yard, and the aim is to bring all four all the way round the cross-shaped track and into the centre. It is the most played race game on earth, and it takes about a minute to learn.
- Players: two to four, each with a colour and four tokens.
- The track runs clockwise around the cross — 52 squares shared by everyone.
- Your home column is the coloured row leading into the centre. Nobody else can enter it.
- One die. That is all the equipment there is.
Rolling, coming out and moving
You need a six to come out
Tokens start in the yard. A roll of 6 lets you move one token out onto your coloured start square. Until you roll a six, you cannot do anything at all — which is why the first minute of a Ludo game is often nothing happening.
Rolling a six gives you another roll
So a six is worth twice: it brings a token out (or advances one) and hands you another go. Most house rule sets add that three sixes in a row end your turn with none of them played, to stop a lucky streak running forever.
Moving
Move one token forward by the number rolled, always clockwise. You may move any token you like, including one already on the track, and you must move if a legal move exists.
| Roll | What it can do |
|---|---|
| 1–5 | Move any token already on the track |
| 6 | Bring a token out of the yard, or move one on the track — and roll again |
| No legal move | Turn passes |
| Exact number needed | Required to enter the centre from the home column |
Capturing and safe squares
Land on a square occupied by a rival token and you capture it: that token goes back to its yard and needs another six to come out again. This is the entire aggressive content of the game, and it is brutal — a token one square from home can be sent back to the start.
Where you are safe
- Start squares — your own coloured entry square.
- Starred squares — the marked safe squares spaced around the track.
- Your home column — once a token turns off the shared track it can never be captured.
Some rule sets also allow blocks: two of your tokens on the same square form a wall that no other colour may pass or land on. It is a powerful rule that slows the game down considerably, and it is optional on this site.
Getting home and winning
After almost a full lap, each token turns off the shared track into its own colour's home column — five safe squares leading to the centre. From there:
- Tokens in the home column cannot be captured.
- Entering the centre needs the exact roll. A token three squares from home needs a 3, not a 5.
The first player to get all four tokens into the centre wins. In friendly games the others usually play on for second and third place.
Ludo, Parcheesi and the rest of the family
Ludo is one branch of a very large family, all descended from the Indian game pachisi. The differences are worth knowing, because a game you remember from childhood may not be the one in the box.
| Game | Where | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Ludo | Britain and the Commonwealth | One die, four tokens, six to come out — the simplest form. |
| Parcheesi | United States | Two dice, blocks, bonus moves for capturing and getting home. |
| Parchís | Spain | Two dice, seven- and twenty-square bonuses, barriers. |
| Mensch ärgere Dich nicht | Germany | Four tokens, one die, compulsory capture of your own piece. |
| Fia / Fia med knuff | Sweden | Similar to Ludo with pushing rules. |
| Pachisi / Chaupar | India | The ancestor: cowrie shells or long dice, cross-shaped cloth board, played in partnerships. |
Common questions
Do you need a six to start in Ludo?
Yes, in the standard rules: a token can only leave the yard on a roll of 6, and that 6 also earns you another roll. Some house rules allow a 1 as well, which speeds the game up considerably.
What happens when you land on another player's token?
You capture it: it goes back to its yard and needs another six to re-enter. The exceptions are start squares, starred safe squares and any token already in its home column.
Do you have to roll the exact number to get home?
Yes. A token in the home column must roll exactly the number of squares remaining to enter the centre. Overshooting is not allowed, so the last token often takes several turns.
Can two tokens sit on the same square?
Two of your own can, and in rule sets that use blocks they form a wall no other colour may pass. Without that rule they simply stack, and both can be captured together in some versions.
What is the difference between Ludo and Parcheesi?
Parcheesi uses two dice, blocks, and bonus moves for capturing and for getting a token home. Ludo is the simplified British version with one die and fewer special rules.
How many players can play Ludo?
Two to four. With two players sitting opposite, the game is a straight race; with four it becomes much more about capture and position.
Play Ludo free, right now
No sign-up, no download — it runs in your browser against the computer, a friend on the same device, or a friend online.