The board and the tokens
The board is a cross with four coloured bases in the corners, a track that runs around the middle and a coloured home column leading into the centre for each player. Every player has four tokens in their base. The coloured squares where tokens enter the track and the squares marked with a star are safe squares.
How a turn works
- Roll the die.
- To bring a token out of the base onto the track you need to roll a six.
- Otherwise move one token that many squares clockwise around the track.
- If you rolled a six, captured a token or got a token home, you roll again. Rolling three sixes in a row loses your turn.
If no token can legally move, your turn passes. When only one move is possible, boardflix plays it for you.
Capturing and safe squares
If you land on a square with a single opponent token on it, that token is captured and goes back to its base, and you roll again. A token standing on a start square or a star square is safe and cannot be captured. In this version several opposing tokens on one unsafe square can be captured together, so never leave a group of tokens in the open.
Getting home and how to win
After a full lap around the board a token turns off the track into its coloured home column. To reach the centre it needs the exact number: if your roll is too big, that token cannot move. The first player to bring all four tokens into the centre wins.
The four game modes
Ludo has many house rules, so boardflix lets you pick the rule set before you start. All modes share the rules above.
- Classic: the standard game.
- Arrow Boost: eight arrow squares sit on the track. A token that ends its move exactly on an arrow is shot four squares forward, once. The boost can capture where the token lands and never carries a token into the home column.
- Hunter: your tokens cannot enter their home column until you have captured at least one opponent token. Until then they keep circling the board. One capture unlocks home for all your tokens.
- Arrows + Hunter: both rule sets together.
The rule set is locked once the first die is rolled, so nobody can change it half way through a game.
Strategy: when to run and when to wait
A six is the most valuable roll, because it brings a token out and gives you another roll. Early on, use your sixes to get several tokens out, so you always have a choice of moves. Do not move the same token every turn. A runner far ahead of the others is exposed and easy to capture, and spreading your moves keeps your options open.
Use safe squares as stepping stones when opponents are close behind you. Capture whenever it is safe, since sending a token home costs your opponent many turns of progress. Near the end, save small rolls for the exact number you need to enter the centre.
Common mistakes
- Leaving tokens on unsafe squares just in front of an opponent.
- Running one token the whole way while the others stay at home.
- Moving a token off a safe square for a small gain.
- Not counting how far behind you the closest opponent token is.
Playing Ludo on boardflix
Pick two, three or four players and a rule set, then play the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard or play friends on one screen. In a private room the server rolls the dice, so every roll is fair, and if someone leaves, the computer takes over their tokens. You will hear a distinct sound when a token is captured, boosted or reaches home.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a six to start?
Yes. A token can only leave the base when you roll a six.
What happens if I cannot move?
Your turn passes, and the game shows a short message so you know why.
What if I roll three sixes in a row?
You lose that turn. A six normally gives you another roll, but not the third in a row.
What is Hunter mode?
In Hunter mode you cannot enter your home column until you have captured at least one opponent token. One capture unlocks home for all your tokens.
Is Ludo the same as Pachisi?
Ludo is a simplified version of Pachisi, a race game that has been played in India for centuries.
