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Ludo strategy and tips
You cannot control the die, but you choose which token to move, and most Ludo games are decided by those choices. These tips go from the opening to the last exact roll.
These tips assume the classic rules: a six frees a token and rolls again, and the eight start and star squares are safe. If you play with blocks or any-number starts, the ideas still hold but the odds shift. See Ludo rules.
The opening: get tokens out
When you roll a six early, the usual best use is to bring out a new token. More tokens on the board means more choices on every later roll, and choices are what let you hunt, defend and avoid bad moves. A player with one token out is forced to move it every turn, whether it is safe or not.
The exception is when a token of yours is about to be captured, or when a six lets you capture an opponent. A capture sends the enemy back to the yard where it needs its own six, which swings the game more than a fresh token does.
Choosing which token to move
Before every move, run the same short checklist:
- Can I capture? If yes, it is usually the best move.
- Is any of my tokens in danger? That means one to six squares ahead of an opponent's token, on an ordinary square. If so, move it to safety if you can.
- Can I reach a safe square or my home column? Reaching a star square or turning into the home column removes all risk for that token.
- Otherwise, advance the token that creates the least exposure. That is often the one furthest back, or the one that stays out of range.
Use the safe squares
Stars and start squares are your resting points. A token sitting on one cannot be captured, so you can park it there while opponents pass, and move it only when the road ahead is clear. Remember that the star squares are eight steps from each start square, so a roll of eight in total (a six and a two, for instance) often lands on one. Our guide to dice and safe squares explains the odds.
Hunting
To capture, you need to be one to six squares behind an opponent's token on a square that is not safe. A token that has just left its start square, or that has stopped just ahead of a star, is often a target. Do not chase with your only token, though: if you overshoot, you may end up one to six squares in front of the same opponent.
- Sit a few squares behind the enemy token you want to catch, and keep your own tokens out of reach of everyone else's.
- Look for opponents who must move. A player with a single token on the track has no choice, so you can predict where it will land.
- Send home the player who is ahead. A capture of the leader costs them the most.
Defending
- Stay out of the one-to-six zone in front of an enemy token unless you are on a safe square.
- Do not leave a token alone just outside an opponent's start square, where a freshly freed token can hit it.
- When you are well ahead, play safe: skip risky captures that would leave your own tokens exposed.
If you play with blocks, two tokens together form a wall that opponents cannot pass. A well-timed block in front of a chasing token can protect your position.
The middle game
Try to advance a pair of tokens close together. Both are then protected by the same pace, and one can often be sacrificed for the other. Watch the leader's furthest token and keep a hunter within range of it. Remember that a capture also gives you another roll in LudoTalk, so a hit can start a chain.
The endgame
The last steps need exact numbers, so patience matters. If one token is three squares from the centre and another is at the start of its home column, use rolls of 1, 2 or 3 on the first and bigger numbers on the second. Never waste a number that fits exactly if you can use it to finish a token, because the next roll may not fit.
Play the people, not just the board
In online Ludo with a live voice call, the table talk is part of the game. You will quickly learn who always chases, who hides on stars, and who panics near the end. Use it. Play Ludo on LudoTalk to try these ideas on real people, or read how the game developed in the history of Ludo.
Frequently asked questions
Should I always bring a token out when I roll a six?
Usually yes in the opening, because more tokens means more choices. Skip it only when a six lets you capture an opponent, or when another token of yours is in danger and a six can rescue it.
Is Ludo luck or skill?
Both. The die decides which numbers you get, but choosing which token to move, when to hide on a safe square and whom to chase decides who wins over many games.
What is the best place to wait in Ludo?
A star square or your own start square. Tokens there cannot be captured, so they can wait until the way ahead is clear.