Ludo
Ludo is a race for 2 to 4 players, descended from the Indian game Pachisi. Each player has four tokens. Roll a six-sided die to bring them out of your yard, around the shared clockwise circuit, up your private home column, and into the centre.
Players
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Red (Player 1) sits at the bottom-left and starts.
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Green (Player 2) sits at the top-left. Play proceeds clockwise.
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Yellow (Player 3) sits at the top-right.
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Blue (Player 4) sits at the bottom-right.
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2, 3, or 4 players may play. Unused colours are removed at setup.
Objective
Be the first player to move all four of your tokens from your yard, once around the outer track, up your home column, and into the centre.
Setup
Each player places four tokens in their coloured yard (the large corner of matching colour). A single six-sided die is shared. Red rolls first; turns then pass clockwise.
Gameplay
Each turn has two parts: roll, then move one token — or acknowledge that you have no legal move.
Rolling
Tap the die to throw it.
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A 6 lets you either bring a token out of the yard onto your start square (tap your yard, then tap the start square), or advance a token already on the track by six spaces (tap that token, then tap where it will land). After that move you roll again.
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Three 6s in a row on the same turn forfeits the third roll: no token moves, and play passes to the next player.
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If no token can legally use the rolled number, tap No moves — Pass to end the turn. A 6 that cannot be used still grants another roll after you pass (unless it was the third consecutive 6).
Leaving the yard
A token cannot enter the track until you roll a 6. That 6 moves it from the yard onto your coloured start square (it does not travel six spaces). Tap the yard, then tap the start square to confirm.
Moving on the track
Tokens travel clockwise around the 52-space outer circuit. If more than one of your tokens is on the board, choose which one to advance: tap the token (or stacked pile), then tap the highlighted landing square. The move must be the exact face value.
After nearly a full lap, a token turns into its own coloured home column (five spaces) and then into the centre. Opponents cannot enter your home column.
Exact finish
To enter the centre a token must land on it by exact count. If the roll is larger than the remaining steps, that token cannot move; choose a different token or pass.
Capturing and safe squares
Landing on a non-safe space occupied by an opponent’s token captures it. The captured token returns to its owner’s yard and needs another 6 to re-enter. A capture grants an extra roll.
Safe squares are the four coloured start spaces, the four gold star spaces on the circuit, every home-column space, and the centre. Tokens on a safe square cannot be captured; they share the square with whoever else lands there.
Friendly tokens may occupy the same square (they stack). This edition does not form impassable blockades.
Winning
The first player to place all four tokens in the centre wins. The game ends at that moment (remaining players do not continue for place).
House rules not used here
These common variants are omitted so the table stays a single, predictable ruleset:
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Home rebound (bouncing back from an overshoot)
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Entry on a 1 as well as a 6
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Impassable two-token blockades
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Bonus roll for entering the centre (a capture still grants a bonus roll)
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Highest opening roll chooses who starts (Red always starts)