Parcheesi Rules: How to Play, and How It Differs From Ludo

Parcheesi is the American version of Pachisi, the cross-shaped race game from India that also gave the world Ludo. It has been sold in the United States since the 1800s, and its rules hold a few surprises for Ludo players: two dice, a five to get out, bonus moves, and blockades that nobody can pass.

Here are the rules of Parcheesi, step by step, and how the game compares with Ludo.

What you need

• A Parcheesi board. The usual American board has a track of 68 spaces around the edge, 12 of them safe spaces, with a nest in each corner and a home path for each colour leading to the centre.
• Four pawns for each player.
• Two dice.

Two to four people can play. Everyone starts with all four pawns in their nest.

The goal

Move all four of your pawns around the board and up your home path to the centre. The first player to get all four pawns home wins.

Getting a pawn out of the nest

A pawn can only leave the nest on a five. That can be a five on one die, or two dice that add up to five, such as a 2 and a 3. A double five lets you bring out two pawns at once.

A pawn that leaves the nest goes onto your entry space, just outside it.

Moving

Each die is a separate move. With a 4 and a 2, you can move one pawn 4 spaces and another pawn 2, or move the same pawn 4 and then 2 more.

If you can use both dice, you must. If only one of them can be used, play that one and lose the other.

Doubles

Roll a double and you roll again after your move. Once all four of your pawns are out of the nest, a double is worth even more: you also move the numbers on the bottom of the dice. Opposite faces of a die always add up to seven, so any double then gives you 14 spaces, split into four moves.

Many sets add a penalty. Roll doubles three times in a row, and your pawn closest to home goes back to the nest and your turn ends.

Safe spaces

The safe spaces are marked on the board. A pawn on a safe space cannot be captured, and you cannot land on a safe space that already holds an opponent's pawn.

There is one exception. If a single opponent's pawn is sitting on your entry space when you bring a pawn out of the nest, your pawn captures it.

Capturing

Land exactly on an opponent's pawn on an ordinary space, and it goes back to its nest. As a reward, you move any one of your pawns 20 spaces. The bonus has to be used by a single pawn, and if no pawn can use it, it is lost.

Blockades

Two of your pawns on the same space make a blockade. No pawn can pass a blockade, not even one of your own, so a well placed blockade can hold up an opponent for several turns. Many groups limit how long a blockade can stay in one place.

Getting home

Each pawn finishes by going up its home path, and it has to reach home by exact count. You can do that with one die, with both dice, or with a bonus move. Every pawn that gets home earns you a bonus of 10 spaces for one of your other pawns.

How Parcheesi differs from Ludo

Both games come from Pachisi, and both are races of four pawns around a cross-shaped track. The differences are mostly in the dice and the rewards.

• Dice: Parcheesi uses two dice. Ludo uses one.
• Getting out: Parcheesi needs a five. Classic Ludo needs a six.
• Extra rolls: in Parcheesi, doubles give you another roll. In Ludo, a six does.
• Bonus moves: Parcheesi rewards a capture with 20 spaces and getting home with 10. Ludo has no bonus spaces, although many versions give an extra roll for a capture.
• Blockades: two pawns together always form a blockade in Parcheesi. In Ludo, blocks depend on the version you play.
• The track: the usual Parcheesi board has 68 spaces around the edge. A Ludo board has 52.

With two dice and bonus moves, Parcheesi gives you more choices on every turn. Ludo is simpler and quicker to learn.

Where to play

You need a board to play Parcheesi itself. If you have the board but have lost the dice, our online dice roller can roll two dice for you.

For the same kind of race online, Ludo is the closest game. Ludo Jim is free to play in the browser, against the computer or with friends in a private room.

Parcheesi is a trademark of Hasbro. Gamejim is not connected with Hasbro, and Ludo Jim is a game of Ludo, not Parcheesi.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get a pawn out in Parcheesi?

You need a five: either a five on one die, or two dice that add up to five. A double five brings out two pawns at once.

What happens when you roll doubles in Parcheesi?

You move, then roll again. Once all four of your pawns are out of the nest, you also use the numbers on the bottom of the dice, which gives you 14 spaces to move.

What is a blockade in Parcheesi?

Two pawns of the same colour on one space. No pawn can move past a blockade, including the owner's own pawns.

How many spaces do you get for a capture in Parcheesi?

20, to be used by one pawn. Getting a pawn home earns a bonus of 10.

Is Parcheesi the same as Ludo?

No, but they are close relatives, and both come from the Indian game Pachisi. Parcheesi uses two dice, needs a five to get out and has bonus moves. Ludo uses one die and needs a six.

How many people can play Parcheesi?

Two to four, each with four pawns.