Ludo

How to play Ludo

Ludo is a racing game for two to four players, loved in homes, schools and matatu stages across Kenya. It comes from the ancient Indian game Pachisi and mixes luck with surprisingly sharp decisions. Here are the rules used in Ludo Arena.

The goal

Be the first to move all four of your tokens around the board and into the home triangle in the middle.

Getting out of the yard

Every token starts in its yard, the big coloured square in your corner. You need to roll a 6 to move a token out onto your coloured start square. If none of your tokens can move, your turn passes automatically.

Moving around the board

Tokens travel clockwise around the outer track by the number shown on the dice. After almost a full lap, each token turns into its own coloured home column and walks up to the centre. You need the exact number to land in the home triangle; if the roll is too big, that token can't move.

Capturing

Land exactly on an opponent's token and you knock it back to its yard. They'll need another 6 to bring it out again. You can't capture a token that is sitting on a safe square.

Safe squares

The four coloured start squares and the four squares marked with a star are safe. Any number of tokens of any colour can share them without being captured.

Bonus rolls

• Roll a 6 and you roll again.
• Capture a token and you get an extra roll.
• Bring a token home and you get an extra roll.
• Roll three 6s in a row and you lose the rest of that turn, so don't get greedy.

Tips from the arena

• Get a second token out early. Two tokens on the board give you choices with every roll.
• Watch the six squares behind you. An opponent within six squares behind you can capture you with a single roll.
• Park on safe squares when rivals are close behind.
• Chase, don't flee, when you can. Sitting a few squares behind an opponent sets up a capture next turn.
• Hurry tokens into the home column. Once a token turns into its colour, nobody can touch it.

Playing online with friends

Choose Online Room, create a room and share the five-letter code or WhatsApp link. Up to four players can join, and the host starts the game when everyone is in. Play a friendly race where the winner earns 20 Hype Points, or set a stake that the winner collects from every other player. If someone is away for too long their turn is skipped, and after a minute offline they're removed so the game can carry on. Hype Points are free and have no cash value; they exist for fun and for the leaderboard.