Ludo Rules

Category : Games & Toys, Board games, Strategy, Tactics, Counting, Probability<<<>>>

Physical Description

Ludo is a board game created in the late Victorian times comprising of a ‘Ludo board’,multi-coloured with different coloured squires, enclosed by a squire in each corner and a squire in the center divided into four different coloured sections.A Dice, 16 small counters( 4 Green, 4 Blue, 4 Red and 4 Yellow or any other colour) and a dice cup.

The Game

Ludo (from Latin - ludo, meaning 'I play') is a strategy board game for two to four players without partnerships in which the players race their four tokens/pieces from start to finish according to dice rolls, each player's four tokens are out of play and staged in the player's yard (one of the large corner areas of the board in the player's colour). When able to, the players will enter their tokens one per time on their respective starting squares and proceed to race them clockwise around the board along the game track (the path of squares not part of any player's home column). When reaching the square below his home column, a player continues by moving tokens up the column to the finishing square, entry to the finishing square requires a precise roll from the player. The first to bring all their tokens to the finish wins the game. The others continue play to determine second, third and fourth place finishers.It is based on the Indian game Pachisi but simpler. The game and its variations are popular in many countries under various names;

• In North America, the game is known under the brand name Parcheesi.
• In Spain, it is called "Parchís" in Spanish and "Parxís" in Catalan.
• In Colombia, it is called "Parqués".
• In Germany, this game is called "Mensch ?rgere dich nicht" (Man, don't get upset), and has equivalent names in many other languages, such as Albanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Macedonian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovene, and Turkish.
• In Greece, the game is called "Γκρινι?ρη?" [Griniaris] (Grumbler) referring to typical player behaviour.
• In Italy, it is called "Non t'arrabbiare" (Don't get upset).

                                                   

• In Poland, it is commonly referred to as "Chińczyk" (The Chinese), though an equivalent form to the German name also exists ("Cz?owieku, nie irytuj si?!").
• In Estonia, it is called "Reis ümber maailma" (Trip around the world).
• In China, Malaysia and Singapore, it is called "飞行棋" or "飞机棋" (Aeroplane Chess).
• In Sweden, it is known as "Fia", a name derived from the Latin word fiat which means "so be it!" Common variations on the name are "Fia-spel" (Fia the game) and "Fia med knuff" (Fia with push). In Denmark and Norway though, the game is known as Ludo.
• In Vietnam, it is called "C? cá ng?a".
• In France, it is called "Petits Chevaux" (Little Horses) or "Le Jeu de Dada" (The Game of Dada) (dada being a colloquial word for "horse") and typically played with horse-headed pieces.
• In Hungary, this game is called "Ki nevet a végén" (Who laughs at the end).

The Board

A Ludo board is a square with a pattern on it typically coloured bright yellow, green, red, and blue. Each player is assigned a colour and has four tokens in their colour, the playspace is cross-shaped with each arm of the cross having three columns of squares, usually six per column. The middle columns usually have five squares coloured; these represent a player's Home column. A sixth coloured square not on the home column is a player's starting square. At the centre of the board is a large finishing square, often composed of coloured triangles on top of the players' home columns (thus depicting "arrows" pointing to the finish).

Counters start their circuit one square in from the end of the arm and adjacent to the starting circle.The player’s yard,starting square,the home triangle and all the home column squares are coloured to match the corresponding pieces.Each player chooses one of the 4 colours (green, yellow, red or blue) and places the 4 pieces of that colour in the corresponding yard. A single dice is thrown to determine movement.

Dice/d??s

It is a small throwable cube of plastic, ivory, bone, or wood with each side having a different number of spots on it, ranging from one to six, usually thrown and used to generate random numbers in Ludo and some board games such as Backgammon,Monopoly and other games involving chance.

A traditional die is a cube, with each of its six faces showing a different number of dots from 1 to 6. When thrown or rolled, the dice comes to rest showing on its upper surface a random number from one to six, each value being equally likely. A variety of similar devices are also described as dice; such specialized dice may have polyhedral or irregular shapes and may have faces marked with symbols instead of numbers. They may be used to produce results other than one through six.

Dice are thrown onto a surface either from the hand or from a container designed for this (such as a dice cup). The face of the dice that is uppermost when it comes to rest provides the value of the throw.

Common dice are small cubes whose faces are numbered from one to six, usually by patterns of round dots called pips. The pips on dice are arranged in specific patterns as shown: ? ? ? ? ? ?.

Asian style dice bear similar patterns to Western ones, but the pips are closer to the center of the face; in addition, the pips are differently sized on Asian style dice, and the pips are colored red on the 1 and 4 sides.

Game Play

Players take turns in a clockwise order, highest throw of the dice starts.After each throw, the player decides which piece to move. A piece simply moves in a clockwise direction around the track given by the number thrown. If no piece can legally move according to the number thrown, play passes to the next player.

A player must throw 6 to move a piece from its yard onto the first square on the track and then the player gets another turn.If the player has no pieces yet in play and rolls other than a 6, the turn passes to the next player.

Once a player has one or more pieces in play, he selects a piece and moves it forward along the track the number of squares indicated by the dice. Players must always move the pieces according to the dice value rolled. Passes are not allowed, if no move is possible, the turn moves to the next player.

When a 6 is rolled, the player may choose to advance a piece already in play or may enter another staged piece to its starting square. Rolling a 6 earns the player an additional or "bonus" roll in that turn.

If a piece lands on a square occupied by an opponent's piece, the opponent’s piece is returned to its owner's yard. The returned piece can be reentered into play only when the owner rolls a 6. Unlike Pachisi, there are no "safe" squares on the game track which protect a player's pieces from being returned. A player's home column squares are always safe, however, since no opponent may enter them.

If a piece lands upon a piece of the same colour, this forms a block. This block cannot be passed or landed on by any opposing piece.

Winning

When a piece has circumnavigated the board, it proceeds up the home column and moved onto the Home triangle by an exact throw.The first person to move all 4 pieces into the Home Triangle WINS!#

Variations

• Ludo played in the Indian continent features a safe square in each quadrant, normally the fourth square from the top in the rightmost column. These squares are usually marked with a star. In India Ludo is often played with two dice and rolling 1 on a dice also allows a token to enter active play. Thus if a player rolls a 1 and a 6, they may get a token out and move it six steps.
• To get a game started faster, some house rules allow a player with no pieces on the board to bring their first piece into play on any roll, on a 1 or a 6, or allow multiple tries to roll a 6 (with three rolls being the most popular).
• If a piece lands on the same space as another piece of the same colour, the moved piece must take the preceding space.
• If a piece lands on the same space as another piece(s) of the same colour, the pieces are doubled or combined and form a block which cannot be passed or taken by any opponent's pieces.Some variations permit such blocks to be passed by rolling a 6 or 1.

                                               

• A block of two or more pieces can be taken by an opponent's single piece.
• Doubled pieces may move half the number if an even number is thrown (e.g. move two spaces if a 4 is thrown).
• A doubled piece may capture another doubled piece.
• A board may have only four spaces in each home column. All four of a player's pieces must finish in these spaces for the player to have finished the game.
• A player must move all the numbers rolled (e.g. if a player rolls multiple 6s, they have to use all the numbers to move).
• A player cannot finish if they have numbers remaining. (E.g., if a player rolls a 6 and a 2 and they have the option to capture or enter finish with one of their pieces using the 2, they can only do so if they have another piece that can use the 6).
• To speed the game up, extra turns or bonus moves can be awarded for capturing a piece or getting a piece home; these may grant passage past a block.
• In Denmark and some other countries the board has eight spaces marked with a globe and eight with a star. The globes are safe spaces where a piece cannot be captured. The exception is that a player who has not yet entered all pieces, can always enter a piece on a roll of 6. If the entry space is occupied by another player's piece, that piece is captured. Otherwise the entry spaces work like the other globe spaces. A piece which would have landed on a star instead moves to the next star.
• In Vietnam, it is called "C? cá ng?a", where the game is modeled after a horse race with the tokens modeled as horse heads. In this variation, a 1 is given equal status to a 6 (meaning that the player can enter a token into play and can roll again). Furthermore, once a player's token reaches their home column, it can only go up each square with an exact roll. This means that a person outside the column must roll a 1 to enter the first square, a 2 afterwards to enter the second, and so forth.
• In Pakistan, a variation that uses two dice allows backwards movement. The dice are rolled and the die values can be used independently or in combination to move two pieces or a single piece forwards or backwards or both. (E.g., if the roll gives 1 and 4, the player can move a single piece 4 steps forwards and then 1 step backwards, or 1 step forwards and 4 steps backwards, or 1 then 4 steps forwards or backwards. Or the player can move a piece 1 step forwards or backwards, and another piece 4 steps forwards or backwards.)

African variations

In some parts of Africa the following rules are reportedly played:

A doubled block also blocks trailing pieces of the player who created the block, or blocks them unless they roll the exact number to land on the block; additionally, the doubled block cannot move forward until the block that landed upon it moves off again. This reduces the tactical advantage of a block and makes the game more interesting.

• If the two players sitting opposite are partners, the players can exchange numbers.
• There are four safety squares on the board, like castle squares in Pachisi, as well as the safe home squares, where a piece may be able to move forwards or backwards and start their turn before previous players finish.
• A piece landing on a square with an opponent's piece not only sends the opponent piece back to the starting area but also sends the landing piece to its home square.
• A player cannot move their first piece into the home column unless they have captured at least one piece of any of the opponents.
• If a player captures the piece of another player, they are awarded a bonus roll. If in the bonus roll, another player's piece is captured, another bonus roll is awarded and so on.

Notes

• In some countries (at least Denmark) a variant for six players is available, but it is uncommon.
• Tokens/pieces were originally flat bone discs,modern materials are cardboard or plastic.
• "Should a player throw two 6s in succession, he is allowed a third throw."
• For young children, a piece may start with a throw of a 1 or a 6. Speeds things up.

Board Games Merits +++

That pile of board games collecting dust could be the key to great health. Board games are in existence since the dawn of civilization, they’re entertaining and provide healthy competition. Good health usually brews with rigorous exercise and diet and we often tend to forget the aspect of mental fitness and health. Things that boost our mental abilities and fitness are as good and as important as physical abilities and fitness.As an added bonus, board games are also rich in learning opportunities. They satisfy the players’ competitive urges and the desire to master new skills and concepts, such as:

• number and shape recognition, grouping, and counting.
• letter recognition and reading.
• visual perception and color recognition.
• eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity.

Here are some benefits of playing board games:

  >>>> Better memory and increased cognitive functioning

Many board games deal with cognitive functions such as memory, information retention, problem-solving and complex situations. These aspects of board games help to develop the mind and sharpen memory. Improvement in cognitive functions increases IQ and enhances learning capacity and ability. Board games help build the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, which are responsible for complex functions. It is proven that any activity that helps the brain acquire new skills and exercise the muscles of the mind helps the brain become healthier.

   >>>> Lowers blood pressure

Along with laughing and positive social behaviors, board games help build a positive attitude due to the release of endorphins. Endorphins have a unique capacity to relax muscles and enhance blood circulation in the body. A healthy dose of board games can help lower and maintain blood pressure. High blood pressure is associated with heart risks, artery damage and stroke. Playing board games increases endorphins in the body thus making people more positive, relaxed and calm.

   >>>> Lowers stress

Most people play games for relaxing and stress relief purposes. Board games are healthy distractions to unwind and help your mind and muscle work at the same time. It is a great social activity that encourages learning and development as well, which in turn boost confidence and motivation.

   >>>> Speed your responses

Regularly playing board games has proven to keep the mind more active and focused. This has helped people respond better to situations that require quick judgment and agility. The awareness required in the games helps people be more target-oriented in general. Games also activate your “survival genes” that help build problem-solving and analytical skills over time.

Board games help boost our brain’s ability to recognize risk and fighting it better, one great way to boost immunity can be to take the board games outside in the open as well as try some outdoor activities.

    >>>> Child development

Board games play a crucial role in children’s development and growth. It is an important aspect of brain development as they help acquire logical and reasoning skills, boost critical thinking and gain spatial reasoning. Playing board games helps with learning, social and communication skills as well. It helps improve verbal abilities and attention skills by making a child concentrate and focus for longer periods of time.

   >>>> Therapy treatment

Many board games require the use of basic motor skills of the body like picking up and moving objects. They are used as a physiotherapy for trauma, to help gain functionality, coordination and to improve muscle and nerve functions. Regular practice helps improve motor skills and basic functioning which is important for children, people with disabilities and the elderly.

Our Take

With thousands of board games to choose from, selecting Ludo for your game session may boil down to Ludo being educational and aims at reinforcing cognitive skills such as logical reasoning, communicating verbally, sharing, waiting, taking turns and enjoying interaction with others, its also effective at teaching the value of co-operation,memory and information retention and also encourages teamwork.

The message inherent in Ludo just like in other board games is: Never give up. Just when you feel despondent, you might hit the jackpot and ascend up high, if you stay in the game for just a few more moves. Good sportsmanship, following rules and taking turns are also important social skills easily derived from Ludo game sessions, these demonstrates that the game is not only about winning and losing, but simply about having fun.

GET THE DICE ROLLING!

References;From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and others<<>>