Ludo is a timeless board game popular across South Asia, perfect for casual family and friend gatherings. This guide is for recreational play only and does not support real-money betting. A standard Ludo set includes a square board with four coloured home zones, a six-sided die, and four tokens for each colour (red, blue, green, yellow). It works for 2 to 4 players.
Step 1: Set up the board
Each player picks one colour and takes the four matching tokens. Place all your tokens inside your home area, which is the coloured starting corner assigned to you. The winding path around the board leads clockwise toward the central finishing triangle. Star-shaped squares on the path are safe zones.
Step 2: Decide who rolls first
Players can roll the die once; the player who gets the highest number starts the game. Turns move clockwise after that.
Step 3: Roll a six to bring tokens out
You cannot move any token onto the main track until you roll a 6. When you roll a six, move one token from your home to your starting square. Rolling a six also gives you an extra roll. If you roll three sixes in a row, your turn ends immediately, and you cannot move any tokens for that round.
Step 4: Move your tokens
After you have tokens on the main path, each die roll tells you how many squares forward you can move one token. Tokens always travel clockwise. You may choose which of your out tokens to move on each turn.
Step 5: Capture opponent tokens
If your token lands exactly on the same square as an opponent’s token, their token is sent back to their home. They will need to roll a six again to bring it out. The exception is the star safe square: tokens on stars cannot be captured.
Step 6: Enter the final home stretch
Once your token completes the full loop around the board, it enters your own coloured final lane leading to the centre finish. You must roll an exact number to move a token into the centre. If you roll a number larger than the empty spaces left, you cannot move that token.
Step 7: Win the game
The goal is to get all four of your tokens into the central finishing zone. The first player to finish all four tokens wins the game. Other players can keep playing to decide second, third and fourth place.
Simple beginner tips
Avoid focusing only on one single token. Spread your tokens across the board to reduce the risk of being blocked. Use star squares to protect your tokens. Do not waste sixes bringing out new tokens when your existing tokens are vulnerable to capture.
Ludo is easy to learn, but dice luck and careful decision-making make every match fun. Following these simple steps, you can quickly start a friendly Ludo game at home.