About the game
Play Ludo online
Roll a 6 to get out, race four pawns round the board and send rival pawns back.
Play Ludo free in your browser: the computer, a friend on one screen, or invite a friend online with a link. Race four pawns home and capture the other side's.
Play vs the computer, pass the phone to a friend, invite a friend online, or play someone new. When nobody’s free, one of our robot players may step in. Free, in your browser, no sign-up.
How to play Ludo
- 1Pick who you’re playing: the computer, a friend online with a room code, a friend on the same screen, or someone new with Quick match.
- 2Tap anywhere on the board to roll the die. You need a 6 to bring a pawn out of the yard.
- 3Tap a glowing pawn to move it round the board.
- 4Land on a rival pawn to send it back to the yard. Stars and start squares are safe.
- 5A 6, a capture or a pawn home gives you another roll. Get all four pawns home first to win.
Rules
- Two players sit in opposite corners. Each has four pawns, and they all start in the yard.
- A pawn leaves the yard only on a 6, onto your start square. From there it takes 56 steps to get home: 50 round the shared track, 5 up your own lane and one onto home. You need the exact number to finish, and a roll that goes past home can't move that pawn.
- Land on a square with rival pawns and every one of them goes back to the yard, a pair included. Your own pawns never block you. The 8 safe squares (the 4 start squares and the 4 stars) can't be captured on, and a pawn in its lane or at home can't be reached.
- A 6, a capture or a pawn reaching home gives you another roll. Three 6s in a row end your turn on the third, with no move; the first two moves stay. If no pawn can move, the turn passes (after a 6 you roll again).
- The first player to get all four pawns home wins.
Ludo questions
How do you play Ludo?
Roll the die and move one of your four pawns round the board. Land on a rival pawn and it goes back to its yard. Get all four pawns home before the other side does.
Do I need a 6 to start?
Yes. A pawn only leaves the yard on a 6, and it lands on your start square. Until you roll one, the turn passes. A 6 gives you another roll, so you move straight away.
Can you capture more than one pawn at once?
Yes. Land on a plain square where rival pawns stand and every one of them goes back to the yard, a pair included. Your own pawns never block you, and a capture gives you another roll.
Which squares are safe in Ludo?
The 4 start squares and the 4 stars, 8 in all. Nothing is captured there. A pawn in its home lane, or home, can't be reached either.
What happens if I roll three 6s?
The third 6 in a row ends your turn at once, with no move. Your first two moves stay. A capture or a pawn getting home starts the count again.
Do I need an exact roll to get home?
Yes. From your start square a pawn takes 56 steps to get home, and the last roll has to match what's left. A roll that goes past home can't move that pawn.
Can I play Ludo with a friend online?
Yes. Tap Invite a friend and send them the link; when they open it you're in the same game. Or pass one phone or tablet between you.
How hard is the computer?
Three levels. Easy picks the best pawn 1 turn in 5, Medium 7 in 10, and Hard every turn. The best pawn is the one that captures, then gets home, then lands safe, then comes out of the yard, then runs from a rival.
The full guides: Ludo rules for two players, and when to capture or stay safe and How to win at Ludo: strategy for two players