Ludo Rules and Strategy: How to Play and Win (Indian Rules)

Ludo is India's own board game. It descends from Pachisi, played in Indian courts for centuries; the Mughal emperor Akbar is said to have played it on a life-size board at Fatehpur Sikri. Today it is the most played board game on Indian phones. The rules look simple, but almost every family plays slightly differently. This guide sets out the standard rules, the common variations, and the strategy that actually wins games.

The board and pieces

• Players: 2 to 4, each with four tokens (goti) in one colour: red, green, yellow or blue.
• Board: a cross-shaped track of 52 squares around the outside, plus a coloured home column of 5 squares for each player leading to the centre.
• Yard: each player's corner base where tokens wait before entering the game.
• Die: one six-sided die.
• Goal: move all four of your tokens round the board and into the home triangle in the centre before anyone else.

The core rules

Opening a token

A token can leave the yard only when you roll a 6. It is placed on your starting square, the coloured square just outside your yard. (Some house rules also allow a 1.)

Moving

Tokens move clockwise by the number rolled. If you roll a 6 you get another roll. You may split rolls between tokens: after a 6 and a 4, you can open a token with the 6 and move another by 4.

Three sixes

If you roll three 6s in a row, your turn ends and the third roll does not count. In many home games, the token moved by the earlier sixes is also sent back.

Cutting (capturing)

If your token lands exactly on a square occupied by an opponent's single token, that token is cut and goes back to its yard. In most apps, including Ludo King, cutting a token earns you an extra roll.

Safe squares

Squares marked with a star and every player's starting square are safe: tokens there cannot be cut. There are usually eight safe squares on the track.

Reaching home

After a full lap, a token turns into its own home column. It needs the exact number to reach the centre; if the roll is too high, that token cannot move. Getting a token home usually earns an extra roll in apps.

Common house-rule differences

Agree the house rules before the first roll; most family arguments about ludo are really arguments about which version you are playing.

10 strategy tips

1. Open tokens early. More tokens on the board means more ways to use each roll, and you can avoid moving into danger.
2. Don't race one token alone. A single runner is easy to chase and cut. Spread your progress.
3. Count the danger zone. An opponent token 1 to 6 squares behind you can cut you on the next roll. Move out of that range or onto a safe square.
4. Use safe squares as stepping stones. Pause on stars when an opponent is close behind.
5. Cut when you can, especially advanced tokens. Sending back a token that has travelled 40 squares is a huge swing.
6. Guard your starting square area. Opponents' tokens pass through it, so tokens sitting just behind it can cut them.
7. Keep one token in the yard late in some games. Opening it on a 6 can cut an opponent passing your start square.
8. Prioritise tokens in danger over tokens in safety. Use each roll to fix the biggest risk first.
9. Move into the home column early when chased. Opponents cannot enter your home column, so it is the ultimate safe zone.
10. Remember the dice have no memory. A 6 is always a 1-in-6 chance; plan for the likely rolls (any specific number is about 17%), not the one you want.

Ludo with money

Ludo apps with cash entry fees and cash prizes are online money games, which the Online Gaming Act 2025 has prohibited in India since 1 May 2026. Free ludo, against friends, family or the computer, is unaffected and remains one of the best games you can play on a phone. See our list of free card games with no real money for more.