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How to Play – Ludo!

by Sayan Karmakar on Apr 20, 2023

How to Play – Ludo!

Ludo Board Game

Setup

A Ludo board is a square with a pattern on it in the shape of a cross, each arm being divided into three adjacent columns of eight squares. The middle squares form the home column for each colour and cannot be landed upon by other colours. The middle of the cross forms a large square which is the ‘home’ area, and which is divided into 4 home triangles, one of each colour. At each corner, separate to the main circuit are coloured circles (or squares) where the pieces are placed to begin.

Each player will select a colour (green, yellow, red, or blue). The four game pieces per player are placed in their matching colour home area on the ludo board. Each player will roll the dice. The player that rolls the highest number gets the first turn in the game.

Objective

The objective of the Ludo board game is to be the first player to move all your game pieces around the board and into the finishing square first. Game pieces move round the ludo board based on the number rolled on the dice.

Ludo board game

Game Play

A 6 must be rolled for a player’s piece to leave their home area. On a turn, the player will roll the dice and move a game piece. A player that rolls a 6 gets to roll again. Players take turns in a clockwise order.

Number of Players

2 to 4 Players

Rules

  • When players have multiple game pieces on the ludo board, they will choose which piece they want to move for the number rolled.
  • If a 6 is rolled, a player can choose to move a game piece 6 spaces or bring a new piece out of the home area.
  • When moving around the ludo board, game pieces will always move clockwise, and the corners are jumped.
  • If a player finishes their move by landing on a space with another player’s piece, the opponent’s piece is sent back to their home area.
  • If a player finishes their move by landing on a space with another of their own piece, it creates a “double”. The “double” pieces can be sent back to home area only with the opponent’s “double”, not with a single piece.
  • If a player rolls a 6, they get to move and roll again. If a player rolls three 6s in a row, their turn ends immediately.

Safe Zone

There are a total of 8 safe zones on the ludo board – the 4 coloured starting squares and the 4 squares marked with a star. Pawns inside the safe zones cannot be hit. One safe zone can house pawns of different colours and there is no limit of the number of pawns that can land on a single safe zone.

How to play Ludo board game

Arrows

There are 12 arrows on the ludo board – 3 in each colour zone. If you land on the tail of an arrow, then the piece moves straight to the head of the arrow. You also get an extra chance upon landing on the arrow. You can send back opponents to their home area using the arrows.

Winning the Game

When a piece has made it all the way around the ludo board it will enter its home column toward the finishing square. A piece can only enter the finishing square by exact roll. The first player to get all their game pieces into the finishing square wins the Ludo board game. The remaining players continue the game to determine the runners-up.
Round

 

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