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How to play Ludo

Ludo is a classic race board game for 2 to 4 players. Roll a six to bring a token out, move around the board, capture rivals and get all four tokens home first. Play free with family, friends or bots. A game takes 20 to 40 minutes, or under 10 in Quick Ludo.

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Ludo at a glance

Players
2–4
Pieces
4 tokens each and one die
Goal
Bring all four tokens home first
Game length
20–40 minutes (under 10 in Quick)

How to play Ludo

  1. Roll a 6

    Roll a six to bring a token out of the yard onto the track.

  2. Race and capture

    Move around the board. Land on a rival to send them back to their yard.

  3. Reach home

    Get all four tokens to the center first to win.

Complete Ludo rules

Setup

Each player takes the four tokens of one color and places them in their yard in a corner of the board.

Your turn

Roll the die and move one token clockwise by that many squares. A 6 brings a token out onto your start square and gives you another roll.

Capturing

Land exactly on a rival’s token to send it back to its yard. Tokens on star squares and start squares are safe and can’t be captured.

Reaching home

After a full lap, tokens enter your colored home column and need an exact roll to reach the center. The first player with all four tokens home wins, and the others play on for second and third.

Tips to win at Ludo

  • Get several tokens out early so you always have a useful move.
  • Stop on star squares when rivals are close behind. Tokens there are safe.
  • Capture whenever you can. It sends a rival all the way back to their yard.
Read the full strategy guide · 4 min readLudo strategy tips to win more games

Ways to play Ludo

  • Classic

    Roll a 6 to leave the yard. All four home to win.

  • Quick

    Every token starts out of the yard.

  • 2v2

    Partners sit across and win together.

  • Hunter

    Capture a rival before you can go home.

  • Arrow

    Land on an arrow square to shoot ahead.

  • Parchís

    Blockades, +20 for a capture, +10 home.

  • Party

    Same free power-ups for everyone.

Play by your house rules

  • ModeClassicQuick2v2HunterArrowParchísParty
  • Turn timer15 s30 sOff
  • Bot levelEasyMediumHard

About Ludo

Ludo is a simplified form of Pachisi, the ancient cross-and-circle game from India. The modern version was patented in England in 1896, and today it is one of the most played board games on phones worldwide.

Rules reviewed by the tavlo.gg game team · Updated October 10, 2026

Questions about Ludo

Can two people play Ludo?
Yes. Ludo works with 2, 3 or 4 players, and bots can fill any seat.
What are the star squares?
Star squares and the colored start squares are safe. A token standing on one can’t be captured.
Is there a faster mode?
Yes. Quick Ludo starts every token out of the yard, so a game takes under 10 minutes.
Is Ludo free to play?
Yes. Ludo is free in your browser, with no download and no sign-up. You can start as a guest, and your progress saves on this device.
Can I play Ludo on my phone?
Yes. Ludo runs in any phone or tablet browser, with touch controls and nothing to install.
Can two people play Ludo?
Yes. Ludo works with 2, 3 or 4 players, and bots can fill any seat.
What are the star squares?
Star squares and the colored start squares are safe. A token standing on one can’t be captured.
Is there a faster mode?
Yes. Quick Ludo starts every token out of the yard, so a game takes under 10 minutes.
Is Ludo free to play?
Yes. Ludo is free in your browser, with no download and no sign-up. You can start as a guest, and your progress saves on this device.
Can I play Ludo on my phone?
Yes. Ludo runs in any phone or tablet browser, with touch controls and nothing to install.

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