Strategy Guides
Ludo Strategy: 9 Tips to Win More Games
Ludo is not pure luck. These nine practical tips cover safe squares, captures, releasing tokens and finishing cleanly so you win more often.
· 7 min read
Board
Ludo online
Classic 2-4 player race. Roll, move, capture, and race all tokens home.
2–4 players
Ludo guide
Roll, race and capture: the 2-4 player board classic with bots, pass and play, and online rooms.
What is Ludo?
Ludo is a dice race game for 2 to 4 players: each player moves four tokens around the board and into their home column, and the first to bring all four home wins. On DD Games you can play free in your browser against 1 to 3 bots, on one shared device, or online with friends.
Ludo comes from Pachisi, the cross-and-circle race game played in India for centuries, and it is still a favourite in Indian homes, on phones and on cardboard boards alike. A roll of the dice decides how far you move, but choosing which token to move, when to chase and when to hide on a safe square is what wins games.
On DD Games you can play 2, 3 or 4 players against bots, pass one device around, or play online. Online rooms use the standard rules unless the host changes them. Hosts can pick house rules before the game: leave base on a 1 or a 6, kill to unlock home (you must capture a rival token before your tokens can enter the home column), no safe squares, and switch off the extra rolls or the three-sixes rule. Built-in presets include Indian street Ludo and Cut-throat. Quick matchmaking always plays the standard rules.
How to play Ludo
- Pick vs Bot to race 1 to 3 bots, Same device to share one screen with 2 to 4 players, or Online for a 2 to 4 player room.
- On your turn, tap the dice to roll. Every player has four tokens that start in their base.
- Roll a 6 to bring a token out onto its start square. Otherwise pick any token that can move and advance it by the number rolled. When only one move is possible, it plays itself.
- Go once round the board, turn into your colour's home column and land exactly on the centre to bring a token home.
- The first player to get all four tokens home wins the match.
Rules
- A token can only leave the base on a roll of 6 (a house rule can allow a 1 as well).
- Rolling a 6 gives you another roll, and so do capturing a rival token and getting a token home.
- Three 6s in a row end your turn.
- Landing on a square with rival tokens sends all of them back to their base, unless the square is safe.
- The eight safe squares are the four coloured start squares and the four starred squares. Two tokens on one square do not form a block.
- A token must reach home with an exact roll; a roll that would go past the centre cannot be used for that token.
- If no token can move, the turn passes automatically.
Tips and strategy
- Spread your tokens: a single runner is easy to chase down, while several tokens give you a useful choice on most rolls.
- Park on a safe square when a rival token is within six squares behind you.
- Captures give an extra roll, so hitting a nearby token is often worth more than racing ahead.
- Use your 6s to bring a second token out early; keeping three tokens in base wastes rolls later.
- Near the end, keep a token close to home so small rolls are not wasted when you need an exact number.
- With kill to unlock home switched on, make your first capture early, or your tokens will keep circling the board.
Questions
How do I play Ludo online with friends?
Choose With friends to create a private room, share the room code, and start when 2 to 4 players have joined. Play online matches you with other waiting players instead.
Do I need a 6 to start in Ludo?
Yes, in the standard rules a token can only leave the base on a 6, and the 6 also gives you another roll. Online room hosts can switch on a house rule that lets a 1 bring a token out too.
Which squares are safe in Ludo?
The four coloured start squares and the four starred squares. A token resting on one of them cannot be captured, unless the room host has switched safe squares off.
Can I play Ludo with 3 players?
Yes. Online rooms, Same device and vs Bot all support 2, 3 or 4 players.
Can I play Ludo against the computer?
Yes. vs Bot lets you race 1 to 3 bots. Each bot has a name and a playing style, from cautious to aggressive, but there are no difficulty levels.
What is the best strategy to win Ludo?
Get several tokens out early, capture when a rival is within reach, rest on safe squares when someone is close behind you, and keep a token near home for exact rolls at the end.
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