How to play Snakes & Ladders
Snakes and Ladders is a race to square 100 for two or more players. Roll the die and move your token along the numbered squares. Land at the foot of a ladder and you climb up; land on a snake's head and you slide down to its tail. The first player to reach square 100 wins.
Step by step
Start off the board
Every player's token starts off the board, just before square 1.
Roll and move
Take turns rolling the die and moving your token forward that many squares, following the numbers from 1 upwards.
Follow the zigzag
The squares zigzag up the board: left to right along the bottom row, then right to left along the next, and so on.
Climb the ladders
If your token stops at the foot of a ladder, move it straight up to the square at the top.
Slide down the snakes
If your token stops on a snake's head, slide it down to the square at the end of its tail.
Reach square 100
The first player to land on square 100 wins. In the usual rule you need the exact number to get there.
The full rules
The board
The board has 100 squares, numbered from 1 in the bottom-left corner to 100 in the top-left corner. The numbers zigzag: the bottom row runs left to right, the next row right to left, and so on up the board.
Our board has eight ladders and eight snakes, all drawn just for GamesBento. The snakes are friendly cartoon snakes with big smiles: sliding down one is a setback, not a fright.
Playing
- Choose how many computer players you want (Grace, Raj and Bisi are happy to play) and who rolls first.
- On your turn, tap Roll (or press Space). Your token moves by itself, one square at a time.
- If it stops at the foot of a ladder, it climbs to the top. If it stops on a snake’s head, it slides down to the tail.
- The computer players then take their turns. You can make them faster or slower with the Speed button.
Finishing
The usual rule is that you must land on square 100 exactly. If you’re on 97, you need a 3; a 4, 5 or 6 leaves you where you are. This can make the end of the game exciting, especially with the snake waiting on 99!
If you’d rather have a quicker finish, untick Exact roll needed to land on 100 when you start a new game. Then any roll that reaches or passes 100 wins.
House rules
Families have played Snakes and Ladders many ways. Some popular variations:
- Roll a 6 to start before your token can enter the board.
- Roll again on a 6.
- Bounce back: if your roll goes past 100, count up to 100 and then back down by the extra.
- Three 6s in a row sends you back to the start.
Our game uses the simple rules above, with the exact finish as an option.
Common questions
What happens if my roll takes me past 100?
Under the exact-roll rule your token stays where it is and you try again next turn. On GamesBento you can switch this off, so that any roll reaching or passing 100 wins.
Do I need a 6 to start?
Not in our version: you move onto the board with your first roll. Some families play that you need a 6 to start; it simply makes the game longer.
Do I get another roll for a 6?
In some homes a 6 earns another roll. It isn't used here, but it's a fine house rule if you play on a printed board.
Can two tokens share a square?
Yes. Tokens never capture each other in Snakes and Ladders; they simply sit side by side.
Is there any skill in Snakes and Ladders?
No. Every move is decided by the die, which is why it is a favourite with young children and a relaxing game for anyone.
Where it comes from
Snakes and Ladders comes from an Indian game often called Moksha Patam (or Gyan Chaupar), which is thought to be several hundred years old, though its exact age is not known. In the old boards, ladders stood for good deeds and snakes for bad ones, and the game was used to teach that good actions lead upward. The game reached Britain in the late 1800s and became a popular family game, with the moral meanings gradually dropped.
