Ludo

Ludo is a race. Each player has four tokens that start in a yard, travel once around the board and finish by running up a coloured column into home. The dice decides how far you move; you decide which token moves — and that choice is where the game is won.

On Alex Play Zone you can play one against one, team up two against two, or practise against the computer. The dice is rolled on our server, so no player can influence a roll.

How to start a game

1. 1Open Ludo on Alex Play Zone, pick a nickname and choose the bot, a two-player room or a four-player team room.
2. 2Tap the dice on your turn. The tokens that can move start to glow — tap the one you want.
3. 3If only one move is possible it is made for you; if none is, the turn passes.

The rules of Ludo

Rolling and moving

• A token leaves the yard and steps onto your start square only when you roll a six.
• Tokens on the board move clockwise by the number rolled.

Extra rolls

• A six earns another roll.
• So does capturing an opponent’s token, and so does getting one of your tokens home.
• Three sixes in a row end your turn.

Capturing and safe squares

• Land exactly on an opponent’s token and it is sent back to their yard.
• Tokens on a safe square cannot be captured. Every start square is safe, and so are the squares marked with a star.
• Two of your own tokens may share a square.

Getting home

• After a full lap your token turns off the track into your own coloured home column.
• You need the exact number to reach home; a roll that is too big cannot be used by that token.
• The first player with all four tokens home wins.

Teams

• In two against two, partners sit opposite each other: red with yellow against green with blue.
• Partners never capture each other, and the team wins when both partners have every token home.
• A player whose tokens are all home is skipped; their partner plays on.

How to play well

Get more than one token out

With a single token on the board every roll is forced. A second and third token give you a choice each turn — to capture, to step onto a safe square or to move away from danger.

Mind the gap behind you

An opponent sitting one to six squares behind your token can capture it with a single roll. Stopping seven or more squares ahead of them, or on a star, costs you nothing and saves a whole lap.

Capture when it sets them back the most

A capture sends a token to the yard, where it needs a six to return, and it gives you another roll. A token that has nearly finished its lap is the most valuable one to send back.

Do not rush one token home

A token in the home column is safe, but it also needs an exact roll to finish. If it is your only token in play, a run of wrong numbers leaves you with nothing to move.

Remember: Get a second token out early — having a choice of moves lets you capture, dodge danger and use every roll.

Common mistakes

• Moving the same lead token every turn while three sit in the yard.
• Leaving a token just in front of an opponent’s start square, where a newly released token lands on it.
• Passing up a safe star square to gain two extra steps.
• Forgetting that capturing gives another roll — a capture is often worth more than the distance.

Questions and answers

Do I need a six to start?

Yes. A token can only leave the yard on a six.

Which squares are safe?

Every start square and every star square. A token standing there cannot be captured.

What happens if I roll three sixes?

The third six ends your turn.

Are the dice fair?

Each roll is made on our server and only the result is sent to the players.