Play Ludo online free
Ludo is the classic race board game for 2 to 4 players. Each player has four tokens in a home yard, and the first to bring all four around the board and into the centre wins. It grew out of the ancient Indian game Pachisi and is played in nearly every home across Nepal, India and South Asia.
On IdleCanvas you can play Ludo in your browser against bots at three levels, or make a private room and play Ludo with friends online. There is nothing to download and no sign-up needed to start.
2–4 players · about 20 min · free, no download
How to play Ludo
- Pick bots or friends, choose 2, 3 or 4 players and your colour.
- Roll the die on your turn. You need a 6 to move a token out of your yard onto the start square.
- Move any token forward by the number you rolled. Tokens travel clockwise around the board, then up your coloured home lane.
- Land exactly on a rival token to capture it and send it back to its yard.
- Bring all four tokens into the centre home triangle to win.
Ludo rules
- Rolling a 6, capturing a token or bringing a token home gives you another roll.
- A token needs the exact number to reach home; if the roll is too big, that token can't move.
- Safe squares (the stars and start squares) protect tokens from capture. You can switch this rule off in setup.
- Optional house rule: capture at least once before your tokens may enter the home lane.
- Each turn has a timer (10, 15 or 30 seconds) so games keep moving.
Tips to win at Ludo
- Get two tokens out early. One token alone is easy to chase.
- Park on safe squares when a rival is up to six squares behind you.
- Use extra rolls from sixes to capture or to rush a token home, not just to bring out new ones.
Ludo: common questions
Can I play Ludo online with friends for free?
Yes. Choose Friends, create a room and share the code or link. Your friends join from their own phones or computers, and bots fill any empty seats.
Do I need a 6 to start in Ludo?
Yes. A token leaves its yard only on a roll of 6, and the 6 also gives you another roll.
How many players can play Ludo?
Two, three or four. Against bots you can play any of these; in a friends room, bots take the seats nobody joins.
Does Ludo work on mobile?
Yes. IdleCanvas runs in any modern browser on Android, iPhone, tablets and computers, with no app to install.