How to Play Ludo: Rules for 2 to 4 Players

Ludo is a dice race for two to four players, and it is one of the most played board games in the world. Each player has four pieces and tries to move them all the way around the board and into the centre before anyone else does. Luck matters, because everything depends on the dice, but you also choose which piece to move, and that choice decides most games. This guide explains the standard rules, how they work with only two players, the house rules people most often argue about, and some simple strategy.

The board and pieces

The Ludo board is a square with a cross-shaped track in the middle. Each of the four corners belongs to one colour, usually red, green, yellow and blue.

• The yard: the coloured corner where a player's four pieces wait at the start.
• The track: the path of squares that runs around the cross. All players share it.
• The home column: the coloured row of squares that leads from the track to the centre. Only pieces of that colour can enter it.
• Home: the triangle in the centre where a piece finishes.

Each player has four pieces (also called tokens) of one colour. The game uses one die.

The goal

Be the first player to bring all four of your pieces from your yard, once around the track, up your home column and into the centre.

Starting the game

Every player rolls the die. The player with the highest number goes first, and play then moves around the table in turn. All pieces begin in their yards.

Getting a piece out

You need to roll a 6 to move a piece from your yard onto your start square. If you have no pieces on the track and you don't roll a 6, you can't move, and the turn passes.

In the free game we tested on our Ludo Wars page, this is exactly what happened: the first player rolled, could not move, and the turn passed. The second player rolled a 6, brought a piece out, and rolled again.

Rolling a 6

A 6 gives you a choice, and a bonus:

• You may bring a new piece out of the yard, or move a piece already on the track six squares.
• After a 6, you roll again.

In many versions, rolling three 6s in a row ends your turn, and the third 6 doesn't count. Agree on this rule before you start.

Moving

On your turn, roll the die and move one of your pieces that many squares along the track, in the direction of play. If you have more than one piece on the track, you choose which one to move. If only one move is possible, you must make it. If no move is possible, the turn passes.

Capturing

If your piece lands on a square occupied by one opponent's piece, that piece is captured and sent back to its yard. Its owner needs a 6 to bring it out again.

You can't capture on a safe square. Many boards mark these with a star, and the coloured start squares are usually safe as well. Any number of pieces can share a safe square.

Blocks

In many rule sets, two pieces of the same colour on one square form a block. An opponent's piece can't land on it or pass it. Other versions don't use blocks, or let the pair be captured together. This is another house rule to agree on.

Getting home

When a piece has travelled all the way around the track, it turns into its home column. No opponent can follow it there, so it is safe.

To finish, you must roll the exact number needed to reach the centre. If the number is too high, that piece can't move, and you have to move another one or pass.

The first player with all four pieces home wins. With more than two players, the others can play on for second and third place.

Playing Ludo with two players

Ludo works well with two. The usual setup is for the players to take opposite corners of the board, so their start squares are far apart. Everything else stays the same.

Some people give each player two colours (eight pieces) to make the game longer and more tactical. If you do this, a player wins when all eight pieces are home.

With only two players there are fewer pieces to dodge, so the game is faster, and captures matter more, because every capture hits your only opponent.

Strategy tips

• Get pieces out early. One piece on the track gives you no choices. Two or three pieces mean you can always pick the best move for each roll.
• Use your 6s wisely. Bringing out a new piece is usually better than moving one that is already safe.
• Stay out of range. A piece is in danger when an opponent's piece is one to six squares behind it. Try to stop on safe squares, or more than six squares ahead of the nearest opponent.
• Capture when you can. Sending a piece back costs your opponent many turns, and more so if it was near home.
• Don't leave a piece behind. A piece that is still near your start square late in the game has the whole track to cover.
• Count the exact roll. Near the end, bring your pieces to squares from which several different rolls are useful.

Play Ludo online

You can play Ludo free in your browser. One of the games on this site lets you set each of the four seats to a person, a computer or off, so two people can play on one device. See the games below.

More guides: how to play snakes and ladders, how to play backgammon and the best board games for 2 players.