rules

Ludo rules: exact roll to finish, capture, extra turn on 6

Canonical Tilehaus procedures for Ludo: equipment, deal, legal plays, and how the hand ends.

Out on a 6

Tiles start in your yard. Roll a 6 to move one onto your gold start. After any 6 you roll again. If nothing can move, the die passes.

Capture and home

Land on an opponent on the shared track and they return to their yard, unless they sit on a gold start. The last five steps are your coloured home column. Only an exact roll tucks a tile into the rose. First chair with all four in the rose wins.

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to what people search — for Google, voice, and assistants.

How do you play Ludo?

Roll a 6 to leave the yard, move around the 52-square cross, send an opponent back if you land on them (unless they sit on a gold start), and enter the rose on an exact roll. First player with all four tiles home wins.

Do you need a 6 to start in Ludo?

Yes. A tile leaves the yard only on a 6, then sits on your gold start. After any 6 you roll again. If nothing can move, the die passes.

How many players is Ludo?

Two to four. Two chairs sit opposite. Three skip one yard. Four fill the cross. Each chair has four tiles.

What happens when you land on someone in Ludo?

They return to their yard unless they are on a gold start square (0, 13, 26, 39 on this table). Safe starts stop a capture.

Do you need an exact roll to finish Ludo?

Yes. The last five steps are your home column. Only an exact roll tucks a tile into the rose. Overshoot and that tile stays put.

Is Ludo the same as Pachisi or Parcheesi?

Ludo is the 1896 English boxed form of the older Indian race Pachisi. Parcheesi is another Western cousin. Tilehaus uses Ludo odds: 1–6 die, 52-track, four tiles, 6 to enter.

Can you play Ludo online free?

Yes. Tilehaus has a free Ludo table in the browser with standing colour tiles on felt. Same track and captures — not a new rule set.

How long does Ludo take?

Usually 20–45 minutes for 2–4 players. Four-player games last longer because captures send tiles back to the yard.

Good to know

Ludo was patented in England in 1896 as a boxed form of Pachisi, a much older Indian cross-and-circle race.
Each chair owns four pawns — Pip, Nib, Lumen, and Pebble. A piece leaves the yard only on a 6, then travels 52 track squares and five home squares.
You need an exact roll to enter the rose. Overshoot and that tile stays put.
Landing on an opponent who is not on a gold start (0, 13, 26, 39) sends them back to the yard. A 6 earns another roll.
Two chairs sit opposite (south and north). Three chairs skip the west yard. Four chairs fill the cross.

This table

Players: 2–4
Time: 20–45 minutes
Set: A plus-shaped track of 52 ivory tiles, four coloured yards, a home rose, four pawns per chair (Pip, Nib, Lumen, Pebble), and a 1–6 die.

Shop a Ludo / Pachisi board

Also try Snakes and Ladders Also try Mexican Train