12 Ludo Strategy Tips to Win More Games

You win more Ludo games by getting several tokens into play early, keeping them on safe squares when opponents are close behind, capturing whenever it is cheap, and never letting all your hopes ride on one token. Dice decide each roll, but your choices decide what each roll is worth. These twelve habits are the ones that separate strong players from lucky ones.

Opening: get options early

1. Bring out a second token soon

With one token on the board, every roll has exactly one use. With two or three, you can pick the move that captures, escapes or lands safe. Early sixes are usually best spent on new tokens.

2. Do not rush the first token around

A lone token racing ahead is a target for everyone behind it, and if it is captured late you lose a lot of progress.

3. Leave the start square soon

Your start square is safe, but tokens piled there block nothing and gain nothing. Move them on when the squares ahead are not under threat.

Middle game: read the danger

4. Count the squares behind you

Any opponent token one to six squares behind yours can hit it with one roll. Two such tokens make it more than twice as risky. Before you move, look backwards as well as forwards.

5. Rest on stars

Star squares and coloured start squares are safe. Landing there when an opponent is close behind is often better than moving further.

6. Capture when it is cheap

A capture sends a rival back home and gives you another roll. It is almost always good, unless it leaves your token standing right in front of two other opponents.

7. Prefer capturing tokens that have travelled far

Sending home a token that is nearly finished costs your opponent much more than hitting one that just left home.

8. Stay just out of reach

Seven or more squares in front of an opponent is out of range for a single normal roll. Use small rolls to adjust your distance.

Endgame: finish cleanly

9. Get into your lane

Once a token enters its coloured lane it can no longer be captured. Getting a far-travelled token into the lane removes a big risk.

10. Plan for exact finishes

Tokens need an exact number to reach the centre. Having two tokens at different distances from home means more rolls are useful.

11. Keep a token back as a hunter

A token behind your opponents’ runners threatens them every turn and can punish anyone who stops in front of it.

Mindset

12. Judge the move, not the dice

Some games are lost to bad rolls. Over many games, though, the player who makes the safer choice each turn wins more often. Look at your options every turn instead of moving the first token you see.

Practise against a smart opponent

The Smart computer in Ludo Live uses many of these ideas: it values captures, avoids squares an opponent can reach and likes safe squares. Beating it regularly is a good sign your strategy is working.

Frequently asked questions