Ludo is a popular board game derived from an ancient Indian game called Pachisi. This board game is fun, family-friendly, and can be played by 2-4 people. Although easy to understand, Ludo has some complex rules. The object of the game is to get all the pawns into the "house" in the middle of the board.
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Method 1 of 2: Preparing for the Game
Step 1. Buy a Ludo set
You can find Ludo board games at children's stores or bookstores that sell board games. This game is more popular in Indian and Bangladeshi culture. However, the western version of this game is also available.
The western version of the Ludo game adaptation that is quite popular is the board game “Sorry!”
Step 2. Understand Ludo terminology
There are some special terms for Ludo and games like that. Each player chooses a color and controls four pawns or pieces. Ludo doesn't use a pair of dice; on the other hand, this game only requires one dice. The game begins by placing each pawn in the appropriate "pocket". The cage is a large colored square in each corner of the board. Meanwhile, “house” is a central square that has one area for each color.
- Ludo games are mostly centered on board tracks. This track consists of 52 plots.
- The house path is made up of four sets of five plots each. This path leads to the house. You can only place a pawn on a path if the color of the pawn matches the color of the lane.
Step 3. Gather opponents to play with
Ludo can be played by 2-4 players. Players must be over the age of four or able to focus on counting and knowing their turn. Each player chooses one of the colors represented by the board and pawns.
Step 4. Prepare the board
After the player determines the color, take all the pawns (according to their color) and place them in the cage of the same color.
When played by two people, each player sits in a position opposite each other, or in opposite corners. This means that one player uses yellow, and the other uses red (or green versus blue). Place the pawns in the cage, according to their color
Step 5. Decide who plays first
Use the dice to determine the first player. Make sure each player gets a turn to roll the dice. Whoever gets the biggest number becomes the first player. The order of play moves clockwise from the first player.
Method 2 of 2: Playing Ludo
Step 1. Start the game
Whoever gets the highest number when rolling the dice can start the game. To move on the board, players need to get a six to "activate" a pawn into the game. If the first player doesn't get a six, the next player gets a turn. The first six you get is a "way" for the pawn to leave the cage.
Everyone gets one chance to get a six, and if he doesn't get it, the turn is passed to the next player
Step 2. Follow the dice
After the player gets the first six to activate the pawn into the game, the player must reshuffle the dice to move the pawn. You have to follow the numbers shown on the dice. To land on the “house”, you must move the pawn according to the number on the dice. You also can't get home if you score more than the required number (in this case, you may need to take a step back if the number exceeds the number needed to land right on the house).
If there are no correct moves to land on the house, you need to give the next player a turn
Step 3. Understand the number six rule
When the player gets a six, he can remove one pawn from the cage. After that, the player shuffles the dice again and moves the pawn, according to the number of the dice that came out on the second roll.
- If the player gets a six on the second roll of the dice, he can choose to remove another pawn or move the first pawn. If you remove a second pawn from the cage, roll the dice a third time and move the pawn.
- If the player gets a six on the third roll of the dice, he cannot remove another pawn from the cage. The number six on the third shuffle ends the player's turn.
Step 4. Capture the opponent's pawn
You can catch your opponent's pawn every time it lands on one of his pawns. The captured pawn must return to its original cage. After that, the player whose pawn is returned must get the number six so that the pawn can be removed.
If an opponent's pawn gets in the way and you can't catch the pawn, you can't move the opponent's pawn
Step 5. Play with stacks (blobs)
A stack is formed when one (or more) pawns of the same color occupy the same tile. The stack acts as a boundary for all the pawns on the board, including your own. If you have two pawns of the same color, and your opponent's pawn lands on a tile already occupied by both of your pawns, this "phenomenon" is known as a mixed blob. When the mix pile is formed, all the pawns in the tile must return to their respective cages.
- If there is a pawn stack three squares from your pawn, and you get a four, you cannot move the pawn across the stack and must throw a play. If you get a four, you can catch your opponent's pawn, but you also have to return your pawn to the cage.
- The stack acts as a barrier for your own pawns. The only way to step over the pile is to land on top of the pile with the right number. After that, on the next turn, you can move the pawns.
- You can choose to play using pawn “pairs”, rather than forming a stack.
Step 6. Pair your pawns
This move is like a double-edged sword that can lead you to victory or defeat. You can pair pawns by landing one pawn on top of another using the correct number of dice. When a pawn is paired, you cannot separate them until they reach the house (or they are caught by another pawn and must be returned to the cage). As long as the pawns are paired and are out of the cage, your opponent cannot pass or remove you from the track, unless he has a pawn pair and lands the pair on top of your pawn pair.
- If your opponent's pawn pair lands on your pawn pair, both you and your opponent will lose the pawn.
- You can play by the stack rule, or make a combination of the two options.
Step 7. Reach the house path
To place all the pawns in the house lane, you must go around the board track. Each pawn moves at the beginning to the right. After completing the round, you can insert the pawn into the house path.
Step 8. Win the game
To win the game, you have to get all the pawns into the house before your opponent can get their pawns in. You can't jump over pawns on Ludo. If there is an empty tile in the house path, you must move the nearest pawn to that tile. You also have to move the pawn according to the number obtained from the dice.
