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Ludo rules: the complete rule set
Ludo has no single governing body, so the rules differ from table to table. This page sets out the classic rules that most players and most apps follow, then lists the house rules you are most likely to meet.
The aim
Each player has four tokens. The aim is to bring all four from your yard, once around the board, up your home column and onto the centre square. The first player to do so wins. Games can continue to decide second and third place.
Players and setup
Ludo is for two to four players, each with a colour and four tokens. There are no fixed partnerships in the classic game. All tokens start in their owner's yard. Each player rolls one die and the highest roller goes first; play then passes clockwise. If you are new to the game, how to play Ludo is a gentler introduction.
Getting a token out
A token can leave the yard only when its owner rolls a six. It is placed on that player's start square. If you have no token on the track and you roll anything else, your turn passes. Some players allow three tries to roll a six when every token is still in the yard, which is a friendly house rule and not part of the classic game.
Moving
- You move one token per roll, by exactly the number shown on the die.
- All tokens travel clockwise around the outer track, once round the board.
- If you have a choice of tokens, you choose.
- You can jump over any token, your own or an opponent's.
- You must move if any legal move exists; if none does, the turn passes.
Sixes and extra turns
A six earns another roll after you have used it. You can use the six to bring a token out of the yard, or to move a token already on the board. Many rule sets cap this: three sixes in a row forfeit the streak, so the third six is not played and the turn passes. LudoTalk uses this rule. It keeps one hot player from running away with the game while the others wait.
Capturing
If your token ends its move on a square occupied by a single opponent's token, you capture it. The captured token goes back to its owner's yard and needs a new six to restart. In LudoTalk's classic Ludo a capture also gives you another roll, as it does in many family rule sets. A token that merely passes over an opponent does not capture it; only landing counts.
Safe squares
A token cannot be captured while it is on a safe square. The usual safe squares are each player's start square and the starred squares on the track: eight squares in all on the standard board. Tokens in a home column are also safe, because only their owner may enter. If an opponent lands on a star square that already holds a token, both tokens simply share it. See dice and safe squares for a map of which squares are which.
Two tokens on one square
In classic Ludo, two of your tokens on the same square have no special power. Other rule sets give them one. In some Indian and regional Ludo rules, and in Pachisi, a pair forms a block that opponents cannot land on or pass, and in Parcheesi a pair is a blockade that nobody can pass. If you play with blocks, agree on it before the first roll.
Home column and finishing
After a token completes its lap, it leaves the shared track and enters your coloured home column. On the standard board a token needs 56 steps from its start square to reach the centre: 50 steps along the outer track and 6 up the home column, the last of which is the centre itself. You need the exact number to arrive. A roll that is too big cannot be used by that token. You may move another token with it, and if none can move, the turn passes.
Winning
The first player with all four tokens home wins. In a team game such as Ludo Teams, partners sit opposite each other, never capture each other, and win together once both of them have brought all of their tokens home.
Common house rules
| House rule | What changes |
|---|---|
| Any number to start (Quick Ludo) | Any roll brings a token out, not only a six. |
| Three tries to get a six | While every token is in the yard, you may roll up to three times. |
| Captures must be made | If you can capture, you must (the German Mensch ärgere Dich nicht rule). |
| Blocks | Two of your tokens together cannot be passed or landed on. |
| Two dice | Common in some regional and American variants; not in the classic game. |
| Exact finish not required | Any roll that reaches or passes the centre brings the token home. |
For the history and names of these variations, see Ludo names and variants.
Frequently asked questions
Can you capture a token on a star square?
No. Start squares and star squares are safe. A token standing on one cannot be sent home, even when an opponent lands on the same square.
What happens if you roll three sixes in a row?
In many rule sets, including LudoTalk, the third six is forfeited and your turn ends. Other tables let the streak run on, so agree before you start.
Do you need an exact roll to get home?
Yes, in the classic game. A token must land on the centre with the exact number. If the roll is too high, that token cannot move.