Lotus Ludo

Ludo Rules Guide

This is the full rule set for Ludo as played on Lotus Ludo. If you are new to the game, start with our How to Play Ludo guide; this page is the reference for the exact rules, including the edge cases.

Players and Equipment

  • Ludo is played by 2 or 4 players.
  • Each player has FOUR tokens of their colour, starting in their yard.
  • One six-sided die, rolled by the player whose turn it is.
  • Turn order is fixed for the game and moves clockwise.

Rolling

  • On your turn you roll once.
  • Rolling a SIX earns you an additional roll.
  • Consecutive sixes: rolling three sixes in a row ends your turn, and the third six is not played. This prevents a single turn continuing indefinitely.
  • The result is generated on our server, not on your device.

Entering the Board

  • A token can only leave your yard on a roll of 6.
  • The token is placed on your colour's starting square.
  • If you roll a 6 and have tokens in the yard, you may choose either to bring one out or to move a token already on the track.

Movement

  • A token moves forward the number of squares shown on the die, following the track clockwise.
  • You may only move one token per roll.
  • If NO legal move is available for the number rolled, your turn passes.
  • Tokens move around the whole track once before turning into their own home path.

Capturing

  • If your token finishes its move on a square occupied by a SINGLE opponent token, that token is captured and returns to its owner's yard.
  • A captured token must roll a 6 again to re-enter the board.
  • You cannot capture on a SAFE square.
  • You cannot capture your own token; two of your own tokens may share a square.
  • Capturing does not, by itself, grant an extra roll.

Safe Squares

  • The STAR squares marked on the track are safe.
  • Each colour's own STARTING square is safe.
  • A token standing on a safe square cannot be captured.
  • More than one token may occupy a safe square, including tokens of different colours.

Blocks

  • Two of your own tokens on the same square form a BLOCK.
  • An opponent's token cannot pass through or land on a block.
  • A block is broken when one of the two tokens moves on.

The Home Path and Finishing

  • After completing the circuit, a token turns into the HOME PATH of its own colour.
  • Only tokens of that colour may enter that home path, so tokens there cannot be captured.
  • To finish, a token must land EXACTLY on the final home square.
  • If the number rolled is greater than the number of squares remaining, that token cannot move and you must move another token — or pass if no legal move exists.

Winning

  • The first player to bring ALL FOUR tokens into the final home square wins.
  • In a four-player game, play may continue to decide second, third and fourth place, depending on the game settings.

Turn Timers and Missed Turns

  • Each turn has a time limit. If you do not move in time, the turn is skipped.
  • Missing several turns in a row removes you from the game so the other players are not left waiting. Your tokens are removed and play continues.
  • We do NOT auto-play moves for an idle player: an automatic move could easily be a bad one, and the game should reflect decisions the player actually made.

Leaving a Game

  • Leaving a game in progress counts as forfeiting it.
  • Repeatedly abandoning games, especially in tournaments, is treated as a breach of our Fair Play Policy.

Disconnections

  • A brief disconnection does not end your game; rejoin and you will be returned to your position.
  • If you cannot return before your turns run out, the missed-turn rule above applies.

Variations

Some rooms and tournaments enable optional settings — different numbers of players, whether a capture grants an extra roll, or how many places qualify. Any variation in force is shown on the game screen before the match begins.

Disputes

Game results, rolls and moves are recorded. If you believe a game ended incorrectly, contact us with the room name, the approximate time and what happened, and we will check the record.