How to play Ludo

1. Throw, then choose a piece

Each player has a colour and pieces in their yard. On your turn, throw the die and choose one of the pieces allowed to move. A single throw moves one piece; it cannot be divided between several pieces.

At a default custom table, a 6 brings a piece from the yard onto its starting square. The entry move puts it on that square, rather than moving six more squares around the track. Some tables, including ranked, also allow entry on a 1.

For a piece already on the board, move the full value of the throw. If none of your pieces can make a legal move, the turn passes. A six earns another throw after a legal move. Entering on a 1 does not itself earn an extra throw.

2. Captures and safe squares

Landing on an opponent's piece on an ordinary shared-track square sends that piece back to its yard. It has to earn entry again. Passing over a piece does not capture it.

Marked safe squares do not allow captures, and neither do the private home lanes. Several pieces can share a square. The club's move rules do not turn a stack into a blockade that stops other pieces passing.

A capture normally earns another throw, but a custom table can disable that bonus. If you have a choice between racing a piece home and leaving another in reach of a capture, check both the destination square and the opponent's next possible moves.

3. Reach the centre with an exact throw

After travelling the shared track, your piece enters its own home lane. Reaching the final home position requires an exact throw. If a piece needs 3 more steps, a 3 finishes it; a 4 cannot move that piece, though you may have another legal piece to move.

Bringing a piece home earns another throw while you are still in the match. A finished piece does not move again. Check how many pieces your mode requires: ranked uses a shorter finishing target than the default custom game.

4. Custom tables can play differently

Read the host's settings before the game. The default custom table gives each player four pieces, entry on 6, a capture bonus, and ends when the first player brings every piece home.

• Pieces each: the host can choose one, two, three or four.
• Coming out: entry can require a 6 or allow either 1 or 6.
• Match ending: stop at the first finisher, or let the remaining players continue until every place is decided.
• Capture bonus: another throw after a capture can be turned off.
• Three sixes: when this option is enabled, a third consecutive 6 ends the turn without moving for that throw. It is off by default.

5. The ranked race

Ranked uses four players with four pieces each. Entry is allowed on 1 or 6, but only a 6 gives the entry's extra throw. The first player to bring two of their four pieces home wins and ends the match.

The remaining places compare pieces home first, then total progress around the board. Players who leave before finishing are placed behind players who stay. You do not need to bring all four pieces home to win this mode.

For a first game, practice throwing and selecting a piece against computer opponents. Watch the turn timer and the highlighted legal choices. Getting a piece safely home is useful, but keeping more than one piece moving gives you more choices on future throws.