You need a six to bring a piece out. Land on somebody and they go back to the start - unless they are on a coloured square or a star.
About Ludo
Free online Ludo on the full board for two to four players, with computer opponents, safe squares, captures and the three-sixes rule.
Ludo is the Victorian, patented, simplified version of Pachisi, which was played in India for well over a thousand years - Akbar reputedly had a court-sized board laid out in marble at Fatehpur Sikri and used people as the pieces. The English edition swapped the cowrie shells for a cubic die, and that is the game most of the world grew up with. What keeps it alive in families is that it is almost entirely luck, with just enough decision in it to argue about afterwards: which piece to move is a real choice, and the difference between a good player and a bad one is mostly whether they keep pieces on the safe squares and time the run for home. Small children can win against adults completely fairly, which very few board games manage.
Frequently asked questions
How many can play?＋
Two, three or four. Any seats you do not need are played by the computer, so one person can still have a proper four-handed game.
How do I get a piece out?＋
Roll a six. It comes out onto your own coloured square, which is one of the safe squares, so it cannot be taken there.
Which squares are safe?＋
The four coloured starting squares and the four star squares. A piece standing on one of those cannot be sent home.
What happens on a six?＋
You roll again. Captures and getting a piece home also earn another roll - but three sixes in a row ends your turn.
Do I need an exact roll to finish?＋
Yes. A piece has to land exactly on the middle, so a roll that would overshoot cannot be played with that piece.
Is it the same as Parcheesi or Sorry?＋
They are all descended from Pachisi. Parcheesi is the American cousin and keeps more of the original rules; Ludo is the simplest of the family, which is why it is the one children learn first.