Ludo

Tips for Ludo

The star squares are the heart of a good Ludo game. Nobody can be sent home from one, so when a rival token sits a few squares behind yours, stopping on a star is often wiser than racing ahead. On a plain square a token is exposed, and being caught sends it all the way back to its yard. Try to have more than one token out on the board, which gives you a choice of moves for each roll instead of forcing you into a risky one.

A six and a capture both earn another roll, but three sixes in a row lose the turn. Near the end you need the exact number to reach the middle, so keep a token moving on the ring rather than parking everything just short of home. If you are new, start against Easy computer players, try Normal once you know the board, and save Sharp for when you want a rival that works out what the die could do to your tokens next turn. Quick start and Short game make for a faster race.

How to play Ludo

Ludo is a race for two to four players, each with four tokens in a corner yard. The goal is to be the first to bring all your tokens into the middle of the board. Players take turns rolling the die and moving one token by the number shown.

A token can only leave its yard on a six. Once out, it walks clockwise round the fifty-two squares of the ring and then turns into the run of its own colour for the last stretch. To finish, it must reach the middle with the exact number. If your token lands on a rival token on a plain square, the rival goes back to its yard and has to start again. The eight star squares are safe, and no token can be sent home from one. A six gives you another roll, and so does a capture, but three sixes in a row and you lose the turn. The tokens that can move lift up and glow, so you can always see your choices.

Quick start lets a roll of one free a token as well as a six, and Short game gives each player two tokens instead of four for a faster race. The finish is ranked from first to fourth. On a phone or tablet, tap the die to roll and tap a token to move it. On a computer, Space rolls the die and the keys 1 to 4 pick a token. P pauses and M mutes.

About Ludo

Ludo is a family version of Pachisi, a race game from India that is many centuries old, and it has been a fixture of family game cupboards for generations. Its rules are simple enough for young children, yet every roll asks a small question: run for home, chase a rival or wait on a safe star.

Kiloo's Ludo draws the board as a bright candy board on a pastel table, with four tokens that have faces: a fox in red, a frog in green, a chick in yellow and a whale in blue. It suits families, friends sharing one device and anyone who wants a quick game against the computer, since every seat can be a person or a computer player in any mix. Easy plays whatever move it likes, Normal hunts captures and hurries its tokens home, and Sharp counts the squares behind every token before it moves. Quick start and Short game cut the waiting when you want a shorter race, and your wins are kept in your browser.

Frequently asked questions