Quick Answer
- Ludo is a dice race for 2 to 4 players. Move all four of your tokens once around the board and into Home, in the centre.
- A 6 opens a token and gives another roll. Three 6s in a row end your turn.
- Land on a single opponent token to capture it (it goes back to its yard), except on the eight safe squares.
- You need the exact roll to reach Home. The first player with all four tokens Home wins.
- This guide uses the common Indian app rules (the classic mode known from apps like Ludo King). Rules that vary are marked.
Ludo is a race. Players take turns rolling one die and moving tokens around a shared track. The first to get all four tokens into Home wins.
The dice decide how far you move, but you usually choose which token moves. This guide covers the board, each rule with an example, a full game, a worked example and the version differences. Deep strategy is left for another page.
What Is Ludo?
Ludo is a board game for 2 to 4 players. Each player races four tokens from a corner yard, clockwise around a shared track and up a coloured column to Home. It is a simplified form of the Indian game Pachisi, sold in England as "Ludo" from 1896.
Rules differ a little between families and apps. So the rules, diagrams and examples always match, this guide uses one set: the common Indian app convention. That means one die, eight safe squares, a 6 to open, bonus rolls for a 6, a capture or reaching Home, and an exact roll to finish. Ludo King does not publish a written rulebook on its website, and its in-game tutorial is the reference, so check the rules screen of your app.
Ludo is not in the Come Game games library. This is a general guide for anyone who plays Ludo at home or on any app. The Come Game library does include Rummy and Teen Patti.
The Ludo Board: Yard, Track, Safe Squares and Home
A Ludo board has four corner yards, a 52-square cross-shaped track, a five-square home column per colour and Home in the centre.
| Part | What it is | Rule to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Yard | Your coloured corner. | A token leaves only on a 6. A captured token comes back here. |
| Start square | Coloured track square by your yard. | Safe. A new token always enters here. |
| Track | 52 squares shared by everyone. | All captures happen here. Move clockwise only. |
| Star squares | One star on each arm. | Safe. Tokens of different colours can share them. |
| Home column | Five squares in your colour. | Only your tokens can enter, so they are safe. |
| Home | Your triangle in the centre. | Reached only by an exact roll. |
Board geometry: each arm of the cross has 3 columns of 6 squares. 4 arms × 18 = 72 squares, minus 4 home columns × 5 = 20, leaves the 52-square track.
From its start square a token covers 50 track squares, 5 home-column squares and 1 step into Home: 56 steps (57 if you count the start square). In the Indian layout each arm has one star, 8 steps after a start square. Numbering the track from Red's start as square 0, the eight safe squares are 0, 8, 13, 21, 26, 34, 39 and 47. The examples below use this numbering.
The Core Ludo Rules, With Examples
You need eight rules: open with a 6, move by the roll, roll again on a 6, stop after three 6s, capture by landing, respect safe squares, finish exactly, and get all four Home.
1. You need a 6 to open a token
A token leaves the yard only on a 6 and goes onto your start square. With all four tokens in the yard, any other roll means your turn passes.
Expect to wait. The chance of no 6 in three rolls is (5/6)³ = 125/216, about 57.9%, so at least one 6 in three rolls is only about 42.1%. In six rolls it is about 66.5%. On average a 6 takes six rolls.
2. Move one token by the full number
Move one token clockwise by exactly the number rolled. You choose the token, but you can't split a roll. Example: with tokens on 3 and 17, a 5 moves one of them to 8 or 22, not 2 and 3.
3. A 6 gives you another roll
After you play a 6, whether you opened a token or moved one six squares, you roll again.
4. Three 6s in a row end your turn
If you roll a 6 three times in a row, the third 6 is not played and your turn passes to the next player. Some apps also cancel the moves from the first two 6s. The chance of three 6s in a row is (1/6)³ = 1/216, about 0.46%, so this is rare.
5. Land on an opponent to capture it
If your move ends on a square with a single opponent token, and that square is not safe, it is captured and goes back to its yard. In the app convention you also get a bonus roll. Passing over a token does nothing.
Start counting from the square after the one you are on: from 25, a 6 reaches 31, not 30.
6. Safe squares protect every token on them
A token on a start square or a star cannot be captured, and different colours can share these squares. Your home column is safe too. Example: Yellow is on the star at 34 and Red lands there. Both tokens stay.
7. You need the exact roll to reach Home
A token must land exactly on Home. A roll higher than the steps left can't be used by that token, so move another one. If no token can move, the turn passes. In the app convention, reaching Home earns a bonus roll.
8. First to get all four tokens Home wins
The game is won when a player's fourth token reaches Home. With three or four players, many families and apps play on for second and third place. This varies by app.
In many home games, two same-colour tokens on one square form a "block" (joda) that can't be captured, and sometimes can't be passed. We could not confirm Ludo King's handling from an official source, so treat blocks as a house rule and check your app.
How to Play a Game of Ludo, Step by Step
A game has five stages: set up, decide who starts, take turns, bring tokens Home and check the result.
Prepare the board
Each player takes a colour and puts four tokens in that yard. Two players usually take opposite corners, such as Red and Yellow. Agree the house rules first: opening on 1, blocks and three 6s.
Decide who starts
Everyone rolls once and the highest roll goes first. Play moves clockwise. Apps choose for you.
Take your turns
Roll and move one token by the number shown. Only a 6 opens a token. A 6, a capture or reaching Home gives another roll, and three 6s end the turn. No captures on safe squares. If no token can move, the turn passes.
Bring tokens Home
After almost a full lap, turn into your home column, where tokens are safe. The last move must land exactly on Home.
Check the result
The first player with all four tokens Home wins. In timed or points formats, the highest score when time or moves run out wins instead.
Worked Example: Four Turns in a Two-Player Game
Here are four correct turns between Red and Yellow, then two wrong moves and their fixes. Squares are numbered from Red's start (0). Yellow's start is 26, and the nearby stars are 21 and 34.
Position before the example: Red has one token (R1) on square 22. Yellow has all four tokens in its yard.
| Turn | Roll(s) | Move | Why it is correct |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Yellow | 6, then 3 | The 6 opens Y1 onto square 26. The bonus 3 moves Y1 to 29. | Only a 6 can open a token, and a 6 always earns another roll. |
| 2. Red | 3 | R1 moves 22 → 25. | R1 is Red's only token out, so this move is forced. |
| 3. Yellow | 2 | Y1 moves 29 → 31. It needed a 5 to reach the star on 34. | Y1 is also forced. It is now 6 squares ahead of R1, off a safe square. |
| 4. Red | 6, then 3 | The 6 moves R1 25 → 31 and captures Y1, which returns to Yellow's yard. The bonus 3 takes R1 to the star on 34. | Count from 26: 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Square 31 is not safe, so the capture stands. Square 34 is safe, so R1 cannot be captured there. |
On turn 4 Red could have used the 6 to open a second token instead. Capturing was better: it cost Yellow all its progress and a new 6 to reopen.
Whether a capture made with a 6 earns one bonus roll or two varies by app, so the example uses only one.
Incorrect example 1: capturing on a safe square
Wrong: Later, Yellow re-enters a token on its start square, 26. Red has a token on 23, rolls a 3, lands on 26 and removes Yellow's token.
Fix: Square 26 is Yellow's start square, which is safe. Red's token may land there, but both tokens stay. To capture, Red needs Yellow to step off the safe square first.
Incorrect example 2: overshooting Home
Wrong: Red's token is on H3, three steps from Home, as in the diagram above. Red rolls a 5, moves it into Home and "bounces" the extra two steps.
Fix: The token needs exactly 3, so the 5 cannot be used for it. Red moves a different token 5 squares. If none can move, the turn passes. A few home games allow bouncing back from an overshoot, but most apps do not.
Common Mistakes and Rule Variations
Most Ludo arguments come from miscounting or from players using different house rules. Here are the usual mistakes, then how classic rules differ from the Indian app convention used here.
- Counting the square you are on. Always start counting from the next square.
- Capturing on a star or start square. Nobody can be captured on a safe square, whatever the colour.
- Missing a bonus roll after a 6, a capture or reaching Home, or playing a third 6.
- Racing one token alone. With only one token out, every roll is forced. Opening a second token gives you choices.
| Rule | Classic board-game rules | Indian app convention (this guide) |
|---|---|---|
| Opening a token | Only a 6. | Only a 6. Many Indian home games also allow a 1, and some app formats start with all tokens already out. |
| Bonus rolls | For a 6. | For a 6, a capture and a token reaching Home. |
| Three 6s in a row | The third 6 is not played and the turn passes. | Same. Some apps also cancel the earlier moves of that turn. |
| Safe squares | Only the home column. Wikipedia describes star safe squares as a feature of the Indian layout. | Eight: four start squares and four stars. |
| Blocks | Two same-colour tokens form a block. An opponent landing on it is sent back. | Varies. Often a block can't be captured, and sometimes it can't be passed. Check your app. |
| Reaching Home | Exact roll. | Exact roll. A few house rules allow bouncing back. |
| Dice | One die. | One die. Some Indian families play with two dice. |
| Winner | First to get four tokens Home. | Same in classic mode. Timed and points modes: highest score wins. |
"Classic" here means the rules summarised on Wikipedia's Ludo page. Individual apps and families can differ, so the in-game rules screen always wins.
Online Ludo dice come from a random number generator (RNG). Ludo King, for example, says its RNG is certified by iTech Labs. No tapping trick changes the roll, and "dice hack" apps or modded APKs are scams that can steal your account. See our fake APK guide.
Tips for Your First Games
In your first games, open a second token early, rest on safe squares when an opponent is close behind, and capture when you can. The dice still matter a lot, but these habits stop easy losses.
- Use early 6s to open tokens, so you have a choice of moves later.
- Count the gap behind you. An opponent 1 to 6 squares behind needs just one exact roll (1 in 6) to capture you, so prefer a safe square.
- Capture when it doesn't leave you exposed. The opponent loses its progress and needs a new 6.
- Read the rules screen of any new app before your first game.
🃏 Like turn-based Indian classics? Try Rummy or Teen Patti
Ludo isn't on Come Game, but Rummy and Teen Patti are. New members can get a ₹10,000 welcome bonus on their first UPI deposit, subject to terms, and withdraw by UPI.
Real-money gaming is for adults aged 18 and over only, and it is restricted in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Telangana, Nagaland and Sikkim. Set limits before you play. See our responsible gaming page.
Ludo Rules Checklist and Next Steps
Check these points before and during a game.
- Everyone agrees the version: opening on 6 only or on 1 and 6, blocks or no blocks, bonus rolls for captures and Home.
- A token leaves the yard only on a 6 (or a 1, if agreed). A 6 gives another roll, but a third 6 in a row ends the turn.
- You count from the next square and move one token by the full roll.
- A capture needs a single opponent token on a square that is not a start square or a star.
- A token reaches Home only with the exact roll.
- The winner is the first player with all four tokens Home, unless it's a timed or points format.
Next: learn the card games in the Come Game library with our Indian Rummy rules guide and Teen Patti rules guide. Compare every title on the games page, or read our Carrom rules guide and Call Break rules guide.
Sources
Rules were checked against these pages on 22 September 2026. Where they disagree, the article says the rule varies.
- Wikipedia: Ludo: board, core rules, blocks, Indian safe squares, variants and origin.
- Zupee: Ludo Rules: bonus rolls, three 6s, exact roll, and timed and points formats.
- Zupee: Ludo Safe Zones: the eight safe squares.
- Ludo King: FAQ: in-game tutorial and RNG-certified dice.
- Party Ludo: Ludo Rules: captures, safe squares, three 6s and blocks as a house rule.
- Bigsmall.in: Ludo Official Rules: opening on a 1, two dice and the capture bonus.
- Rarepike: Blocking & Safe Spaces in Ludo: block rules by version.
