Board
Snakes & Ladders online
Roll, climb the ladders, dodge the snakes and be first to 100.
Snakes & Ladders guide
Roll, climb the ladders, dodge the snakes and be the first to land on 100.
What is Snakes & Ladders?
Snakes and Ladders is a dice race game on a 100-square board: ladders carry your token up, snakes send it down, and the first player to land exactly on square 100 wins. On DD Games you can play free in your browser with 2 to 4 players, against bots, on one shared device, or online.
Snakes and Ladders began in India as Moksha Patam, where ladders stood for good deeds and snakes for bad ones. In Tamil Nadu it is known as Paramapadam, and many families still play it at home. Because every move is decided by the dice, children and grandparents start on equal terms, which is exactly why it works so well for family play.
The DD Games board has 9 ladders and 10 snakes. The biggest climb runs from 28 to 84, and the ladder on 80 goes straight to 100 for an instant win. The longest snake drops you from 87 to 24, and three more snakes wait on 93, 95 and 98, so the last row is where games turn. You can race 1 to 3 bots with their own names and taunts, pass one device around, or play online with friends.
How to play Snakes & Ladders
- Pick vs Bot to race 1 to 3 bots, Same device to share one screen with 2 to 4 players, or Online for a room of 2 to 4 players.
- On your turn, tap the dice. Your token moves forward by the number rolled.
- Land on the foot of a ladder and you climb to its top; land on a snake's head and you slide down to its tail.
- Rolling a 6 gives you another roll.
- Reach square 100 with an exact roll to win. A roll that would go past 100 leaves your token where it is.
Rules
- All players start off the board and take turns in a fixed order.
- Ladders only go up and snakes only go down; you always travel the whole ladder or snake.
- A roll that would carry you beyond square 100 is not moved, and the turn passes unless it was a 6.
- A 6 always earns another roll, unless that move finished the game.
- Several tokens can share a square; nobody can be captured or knocked back by another player.
- The dice is random for every player, including the bots. Nothing is weighted.
Tips and strategy
- This is a game of luck, so enjoy the swings; there is no move choice to agonise over.
- Watch the last row: snakes on 93, 95 and 98 can undo a big lead in one roll.
- Square 80 is the best place to land on the whole board, since its ladder ends on 100.
- Use it to teach young children counting: let them move the token square by square as they read the dice.
- In online rooms, keep the chat and emotes open: the reactions are half the fun.
Questions
How do I play snake and ladder online with friends?
Choose With friends to create a private room and share the room code, then start once 2 to 4 players have joined. If you are together in one place, Same device lets everyone play on one phone or laptop.
Do you need an exact roll to finish Snakes and Ladders?
Yes. You must land on square 100 exactly; a roll that would carry you past it leaves your token where it is.
What happens when you roll a 6 in Snakes and Ladders?
You move six squares and then roll again, unless that move finished the game.
What is Paramapadam?
Paramapadam is the Tamil name for Snakes and Ladders, and Moksha Patam is the older Indian version it grew from. The rules here are the familiar ones: climb ladders, slide down snakes, and reach 100 first.
Can I play Snakes and Ladders against the computer?
Yes. vs Bot lets you race 1 to 3 bots. The game is pure luck, so the bots have names and taunts but no difficulty levels.
Is Snakes and Ladders a skill game?
No. Every move is decided by the dice, which makes it a relaxed game for mixed ages and a good pick for family play.
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