Ludo is a strategic multiplayer board game (min 2 to 4 players) where the players race their tokens or gotis from start to finish as per the rolls of a single dice. Interestingly, Ludo is a simplified version of the ancient Indian board game called Pachisi which was meant to be enjoyed with family and friends including players of all age groups. There are some western versions of Pachisi like Parchis in Spain, Parcheesi from the United States and Uckers, a variation of Ludo played by the Royal Navy on a Ludo board.
Pachisi originated in India in the 6th century and it is also depicted on the boards of Ellora Caves in India. This 6th century game was mentioned in the Indian epic Mahabharata where Shakuni the antagonist rolls the doomed dice to trick the Pandavas and after losing everything, the protagonist Yudhishthira gambles his wife Draupadi and ends up losing her too. Pachisi was also referred as Chaupar during the medieval ages and the classic version was enjoyed by one of the most prominent Mughal emperors of India, Akbar. The game of Ludo took a novel turn when a cubic dice was included and licensed as “Ludo” in England in 1896.
Enough with the history of Pachisi err Ludo, let us now focus on the gameplay.
A minimum of two, three, or four players can play Ludo individually. Initially, every player’s four tokens are out of play and kept in the player’s yard. The players will then push their tokens on the board (starting squares), and embark on the clockwise journey around the board till it moves to the finishing square. The rolls of a single die control the tokens, and entry to the finishing square needs a strategic roll from the player. The first player to get all their tokens to the finish line wins the game. Check out some important game rules before you begin your Ludo journey:
Here are some tricks that will establish you as a Ludo master.