Saap Seedi Online: Play Snakes and Ladders Free (साँप सीढ़ी)
Saap Seedi (साँप सीढ़ी) is what most players in India call snakes and ladders. The name simply means snake and ladder, and it is the same game: a board of one hundred squares, a die, ladders that lift you up and snakes that drag you back down.
Here is what Saap Seedi is, how to play it, and how to play Saap Seedi online for free.
What is Saap Seedi?
Saap Seedi is the Hindi name for the game known in English as snakes and ladders. It is a pure race: every player starts at the bottom of the board, and the first to reach square one hundred wins.
The game itself is Indian. Long before it was sold in shops, it was played in India as Moksha Patam, a game about good and bad deeds, where ladders were virtues and snakes were vices. There is a full history of snakes and ladders if you want the story of how it travelled from there to the rest of the world.
How to play Saap Seedi
The rules fit in a few lines.
- Every player starts just before square one.
- Roll the die and move forward that many squares, following the numbers.
- Land at the foot of a ladder and you climb to the top of it.
- Land on a snake's head and you slide down to its tail.
- The first player to reach square one hundred wins.
Unlike Ludo, you do not need a six to start. You roll on your first turn and move straight onto the board. Two tokens can share a square, and nobody can capture anybody: the only thing that sends you back is a snake.
The rule people argue about is the finish. In the strict version you need the exact number to land on one hundred. Many players allow any roll that reaches it. Agree before the first roll, or see the full snakes and ladders rules for every common variation.
How to play Saap Seedi online
Snakes and Ladders Jim is a free online version of Saap Seedi that runs in your browser. There are four ways to play.
- With friends in a private room. Only the people you invite can join, so it is just your group.
- Against other players online, when nobody you know is free.
- Against the computer, any time, with no waiting.
- Pass-and-play on one phone, handing it round after every turn.
The classic rules are built in, so there is nothing new to learn.
Why Saap Seedi works so well online
On a real board, most arguments in Saap Seedi are about counting. Somebody moves one square too many, somebody else says they landed on the snake, and the game stops while everyone recounts.
Online, the game counts for you. Your token moves the exact number, the ladders and snakes move it automatically, and nobody can nudge their piece past a snake when the others are not looking. A game also takes less time, because there is no counting and no setting up.
Is Saap Seedi a game of skill?
No, and that is the point. Every move is decided by the die and there are no choices to make, so anyone can beat anyone. A player who has never played before has exactly the same chance as one who has played a thousand games.
That makes Saap Seedi the opposite of Ludo, where choosing which token to move is a real skill. If you want a dice game with decisions in it, there is a guide to the differences between Ludo and snakes and ladders.
Frequently asked questions
Is Saap Seedi the same as snakes and ladders?
Yes. Saap Seedi (साँप सीढ़ी) is the Hindi name for snakes and ladders. The board, the rules and the goal of reaching square one hundred are the same.
Can I play Saap Seedi online with friends?
Yes. Snakes and Ladders Jim lets you create a private room so only the friends you invite can join. You can also play on one phone with pass-and-play.
Is Saap Seedi online free?
Yes. Snakes and Ladders Jim is free to play in your browser, with no download and no sign-up.
Do you need a six to start Saap Seedi?
No. That is a Ludo rule. In Saap Seedi you roll on your first turn and move straight onto the board.
Where does Saap Seedi come from?
India. It was played there as Moksha Patam, a game about virtues and vices, long before it became the snakes and ladders known around the world.