How to Win at Ludo: 9 Tactics That Actually Work (It's Not Just Luck)

Everyone who loses at Ludo says the same thing: "It's just luck."

It isn't. The dice decide what number you get, but you decide which token moves, and that choice happens dozens of times every game. Make better choices than the people around you and you'll win far more often, even when the dice are being rude.

Here are nine tactics that make a real difference.

1. Get a second token out early

One token on the board means every roll has one option. Two tokens means you can choose: move the one that's in danger, or the one that can capture, or the one that can reach safety.

When you roll your first few sixes, bringing out a second token is almost always better than pushing your first one further. Choices win Ludo games.

2. Learn the "danger zone": the 6 squares behind you

This is the single most important idea in Ludo. An opponent's token that sits 1 to 6 squares behind you can capture you with one roll.

Before every move, look at where your token will land and count backwards six squares. If there's an enemy token in that range, you're exposed. The chance of them rolling the exact number is about 1 in 6, and higher once you count their bonus rolls after a six. If there are two enemy tokens behind you, the risk roughly doubles.

Good players do this count automatically. It's why they seem "lucky."

3. Treat safe squares like bus stops

The coloured start squares and the star squares are safe: nobody can capture you there. When your token is in someone's danger zone and you can hop onto a safe square, do it.

The trick is not to stay forever. A token sitting on a star isn't progressing. Use safe squares as stops on a journey, not a permanent home.

4. Chase from behind instead of running away

The danger zone works both ways. If you sit 1 to 6 squares behind an opponent, you are the threat. This forces them to waste moves running, and every so often the dice hand you a capture.

Capturing is doubly powerful because you also get a bonus roll (in the standard rules used on our site).

5. Be careful just after an opponent's start square

When an opponent rolls a 6, their new token appears on their start square, and anything just ahead of it is in instant danger. Don't park in the six squares after a rival's start, especially if they still have tokens waiting in their yard.

6. Use your sixes wisely

A 6 is the most valuable roll in the game, because it moves you and gives you another turn. Ask yourself:

• Do I need another token out? Use it to bring one out.
• Can a 6 reach a capture or a safe square? Take it.
• Is a token in danger? Move that one, then use the bonus roll to keep going.

Just remember the three-sixes rule: roll 6 three times in a row and you lose the turn.

7. Rush tokens into the home column

Once a token turns into its own coloured home column, nobody can touch it. Tokens that are close to that turn are your most "expensive" pieces, because losing one sends a lot of progress back to the yard.

When a token is within a few squares of its home column, prioritise getting it in safely over almost anything else.

8. Don't send one token on a solo marathon

It feels good to race a single token far ahead. But a lone runner stuck in the middle of the board, with nothing else on the board to move, has no options when danger appears. Spread your progress so you always have a sensible move.

9. In 3–4 player games, watch the leader

With more than two players, you don't have to beat everybody, you just have to make sure the leader doesn't run away with it. If one player has two tokens home, capturing their tokens is worth more than capturing anyone else's.

Practice against a bot that uses these tactics

Our Ludo Arena has four computer levels. The Hard and Expert bots actually count the danger zone, prefer safe squares and hunt tokens they can catch. In our testing, the Expert bot beats the Easy bot more than 9 times out of 10, which shows how much these decisions matter.

Try the tactics above against Medium first. When you're beating it regularly, step up to Expert. Every win earns Hype Points and a spot on the leaderboard.

👉 Play Ludo Arena free: vs computer, pass-and-play, or online with up to four friends.