Ludo looks like a pure dice game, but every roll asks you a question: which token should move? This tutorial plays through a first game step by step, then gives you ten practical tips on when to leave the yard, how to stay safe, when to chase and when to capture. Everything here follows the rules used in our Ludo game, so you can try each idea straight away against the computer or with friends.
What you will learn
- How a turn works, from your first 6 to your last token home.
- Why the squares behind your token matter more than the squares in front of it.
- How to use the eight safe squares as stepping stones.
- When to bring out a new token and when to push the one you have.
- Which captures matter most, and how to chase a rival token.
- A simple practice plan to go from beginner to confident.
If you haven’t read the rules yet, the complete Ludo rules guide takes about ten minutes and covers every special case.
Your first game, step by step
Here is a two-player game between Maya (red) and Leo (yellow), with four tokens each. With two players the colors sit in opposite corners, so both start with plenty of room.
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Start the game. Open the Ludo board, choose two players and set the second seat to a person (on a first visit it is a computer). Type both names and start. Maya’s name comes first, so she rolls first.
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Roll for a 6. Maya rolls a 3. All of her tokens are still in the yard and only a 6 can bring one out, so her turn passes automatically. Leo rolls a 5 and passes too. This is normal: on average it takes six rolls to see a 6.
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Bring the first token out. Maya rolls a 6. One token moves from her yard onto her start square, which is a safe square. A 6 always earns another roll, so she rolls again.
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Use the bonus roll. She rolls a 4 and moves the new token four squares along the track. With auto-move on, the game moves it for her, because it is her only token that can move.
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Look behind before you stop. A few turns later Leo has a token out too. Any token you leave on an ordinary square can be hit by a rival token one to six squares behind it, because that rival only needs the exact number.
The six squares in front of a rival token are its danger zone. A token standing four squares ahead can be hit by a roll of 4. -
Bring out a second token. On her next 6, Maya has a real choice for the first time: move her token six squares or bring out another one. No rival is close behind her token, so she brings out a second one, then uses the bonus roll. Two tokens on the board means more ways to use every roll.
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Step onto a star. Leo’s token now sits two squares behind Maya’s leading token, which is three squares short of a star. Maya rolls a 3. Either token would move three squares, so the question is where each one stops: the leader would land on the star, safe from capture, while moving the other token would leave the leader in Leo’s danger zone. She moves the leader onto the star.
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Make a capture. Later, Leo stops a lone token two squares ahead of Maya’s second token. She rolls a 2, lands exactly on it and sends it back to Leo’s yard. A capture earns a bonus roll, so Maya rolls again.
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Turn into the home column. After almost a full lap, Maya’s leading token turns off the track into her home column, where nobody can touch it. From here it needs an exact roll: three squares from home, only a 3 finishes it.
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Finish. Each token that reaches home earns another roll. The first player with all four tokens home wins, and the others are ranked by how far their tokens got.
10 tips to win more Ludo games
1. Get a second token out early
One token on its own can’t use every roll. If it is close to home and needs an exact number, your turns are wasted. When a 6 comes and your only token is safe, bring out another one. Two or three tokens in play give you a choice on almost every roll.
2. Don’t empty the yard on autopilot
A 6 is also the biggest step you can take with a token in danger. If your leader sits right in front of a rival, use the 6 to move it out of range or onto a safe square, and bring out the new token next time. Tokens in the yard can’t be captured, so there is no rush to bring out all four.
3. Count the danger zone
Before you choose a move, look at the squares behind where your token will stop. Any rival token one to six squares back can hit you with a single roll, including a token that is part of a pair, and a rival that rolls a 6 can reach seven to twelve squares by using its bonus roll. A square with no rival close behind is often better than a square farther ahead.
4. Hop between safe squares
There are eight safe squares: the four start squares and the four stars. The star is eight squares past each start square, and the next start square comes five squares after that. When rivals are around, plan your moves so your token ends on one of them as often as you can.
5. Capture the token that has traveled farthest
A captured token goes all the way back to its yard and needs another 6 to come out. Hitting a token that has nearly finished a lap costs its owner far more than hitting one that has just left home. If you can choose between two captures, take the more advanced token.
6. Chase from behind
A lone rival token one to six squares in front of yours is under threat from you on every roll. That forces its owner to spend moves running away instead of racing. Sitting behind a rival is much safer than sitting in front of one.
7. Watch the rival start squares
A token parked just past a rival’s start square is easy to hit. When that player rolls a 6, a new token appears on their start square and the bonus roll can carry it straight onto yours. Move through those stretches quickly.
8. Use pairs, but know the risk
Two of your tokens on the same square form a pair, and a pair can’t be captured. In these rules a pair doesn’t block anyone, so it is only a shield, and the moment you move one of them you are left with two lone tokens. Some families play a house rule where pairs block the track. If yours does, remember that a block can trap your own tokens behind it too.
9. Don’t crowd the end
Tokens in the home column are safe, but they need exact numbers. If every token you have is close to home, high rolls become useless and you can lose several turns in a row. Keep one token farther back to use the big numbers while the others wait for their exact roll.
10. Play the odds, not the hope
Every number comes up one roll in six, on average. Don’t leave a token in danger hoping your rival misses. Ask instead: how many rival tokens could hit this square, and is there a safer move that still makes progress? Over a whole game, these small choices decide most results.
Common beginner mistakes
- Racing one token. A single runner is the easiest target on the board, and it wastes rolls near home.
- Ignoring bonus rolls. A 6, a capture and a token reaching home all give you another roll. Plan the second roll before you make the first move.
- Stopping just in front of a rival. One to six squares ahead of a rival token is the worst place to end a move.
- Forgetting the exact roll. Plan your last steps so the token can finish with a common number, and keep another token free for the rest.
- Counting the square you’re on. A roll of 1 moves your token to the very next square.
A practice plan
- Learn the flow against Easy. Play a full game with two seats: you and one computer on Easy. It moves at random, so you can focus on the rules and on counting squares.
- Practice safety against Medium. Medium always takes a capture when it can and loves safe squares. Play until you can finish games without losing more than one token.
- Play the full table. Set four seats, one for you and three computers. Watch how the danger zones shift as more tokens enter the track.
- Try Hard. The Hard computer weighs progress against the risk of being captured. Beating it in a two-player game is a good sign that your choices are sound.
- Sharpen your endgame with the quick game. Switch to two tokens per player for short games that reach the home column fast.
- Pass the device around. Play with family or friends on one phone or tablet and teach them the danger zone.
When a question comes up mid-game, check the Ludo rules guide. Then go back to the Ludo board and put the tips to work.
