How to Play Ludo

Ludo is a game in the Pachisi family (like Sorry! and Parcheesi), and involves moving colored pawns around the board to the home base. It is simpler than most and was originally developed for children to play. Gameplay is most closely associated with Sorry, and can be mastered in the first sitting.

Things You'll Need

• Ludo board game

Instructions

1. Choose a color and place your playing pieces in the starting section for your color. There is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing one color over another.

2. Roll the die to see who goes first. The highest number wins the advantage.

3. Roll the die on your turn to either move your piece forward in a clockwise manner, or use the opportunity to move one of your pieces from the base to the track (by rolling a 6).

4. Be aware that you can't move a piece out of the starting area unless you roll a 6. If you roll something other than a 6 and do not have a piece on the track, then you forfeit your turn.

5. Note that if you are not capable of moving a piece precisely into the home section (you must roll the exact amount that would place a piece in the home section) then you must choose a different piece to move or forfeit your turn.

6. Be sure that you also take your extra turn when you throw a 6. You'll be able to move your piece out of the starting location and could even move it farther along the path. Players who are lucky enough to throw several consecutive 6s could move a single piece far ahead, getting them away from opponents.

7. Take care that you try to move pieces away from opponent's pieces, or they run the risk of being sent back to the starting square (as in Sorry!). If a piece is sent back to the beginning, it'll have to start all over again.

8. Use variants that change the standard rules and make the game more interesting. For example, you could change the die-roll-6 rule to include rolls of 1, giving you two different opportunities to move a piece onto the track.

Tips & Warnings

• Ludo is available online in many forms, with several Java incarnations developed and free to play.

• Pieces from the Ludo game are small and can be choking hazards for younger children. It's a good idea to keep them out of reach of those that are under four years of age.