Snakes and Ladders Rules: How to Play, Step by Step

Snakes and ladders is usually the first board game anyone learns, often before they can read. That is its whole appeal: the rules fit in a sentence, and a five year old can beat a grandparent fair and square.

It is also a game where almost every family plays a slightly different version. The rules below are the common standard, followed by the variations people argue about, so you can agree on one before the dice come out.

The board

A square grid of one hundred numbered squares, ten rows of ten. Square one is at the bottom left and square one hundred is at the top.

The numbering snakes back and forth. Row one runs left to right, row two runs right to left, and so on up the board. That zig-zag is why you count along the path rather than straight up.

Scattered across the board are ladders and snakes. Each connects two squares that are not next to each other. A ladder always goes up, and a snake always goes down.

What you need

• The board.
• One die. Some sets use two, but one is standard.
• One token per player, each a different colour.

Two to four players is the usual range, although nothing stops you adding more if you have the tokens. More players just means a longer wait between turns.

Starting the game

All tokens begin off the board, just before square one. Each player rolls the die and the highest roll goes first. Play then passes clockwise.

Unlike Ludo, you do not need a six to start. On your first turn you roll and move straight onto the board. A roll of four puts you on square four.

Taking a turn

Roll the die and move your token forward that many squares, following the numbers. That is the entire turn, apart from what happens where you land.

• Land at the bottom of a ladder and you climb straight to the square at the top of it.
• Land on the head of a snake and you slide down to the square at its tail.
• Land anywhere else and your turn is over.

Passing over a ladder or a snake does nothing. Only the square you finish on counts.

Two tokens can share a square. There is no capturing in snakes and ladders, and nobody sends anybody else back. The only thing that can set you back is a snake.

Rolling a six

In most versions, a six gives you another roll after you move. Some groups add the same rule Ludo uses: three sixes in a row and your turn ends, or even that you go back to where the turn began.

Neither is part of every rulebook, so decide before you start.

Winning

The first player to reach square one hundred wins.

This is where the most common house rule lives. In the strict version you need the exact roll to land on one hundred. If you are on ninety seven, only a three will do. Roll a five and you either stay put, or count up to one hundred and back down the extra two squares, depending on which rule you use.

The bounce-back version keeps a game tense right to the end, because a player on ninety nine can still slide down a snake that sits on ninety eight.

Common house rules

• Exact roll to finish, or any roll that reaches one hundred.
• Bounce back from one hundred, or wait in place.
• A six gives an extra roll, or it does not.
• Three sixes in a row send you back.
• Two dice instead of one, which makes the game much shorter.

None of these are wrong. They just need saying out loud before the first roll.

Is there any skill?

In the standard game, none. Every move is decided by the die, and there is never a choice to make. That is not a flaw - it is exactly why the game works for young children, who can play as equals with anyone.

What there is, is good sportsmanship: counting properly, waiting your turn, and losing to a snake on square ninety eight without flipping the board. There is a separate post on why a pure luck game is still worth playing properly.

Playing online

The rules do not change online, but two things get easier. The game counts the squares for you, which removes the most common argument, and the snakes and ladders move your token automatically.

Snakes and Ladders Jim can be played against friends in a private room, against players around the world, against the computer, or passed around on one device the old way.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a six to start snakes and ladders?

No. That is a Ludo rule. In snakes and ladders you roll on your first turn and move straight onto the board.

What happens if you land on a snake?

You slide down to the square at the snake's tail. Only landing on the head counts - passing over a snake does nothing.

Do you need an exact roll to win?

In the strict rules, yes. If your roll would take you past one hundred, you either stay where you are or bounce back by the extra squares. Many families play that any roll reaching one hundred wins, so agree on it first.

How many players can play snakes and ladders?

Two to four is standard. You can add more players if you have enough tokens, and it also works well with just two.

Can two tokens be on the same square?

Yes. There is no capturing in snakes and ladders, so tokens simply share the square.

How long does a game take?

Usually ten to twenty minutes, depending on the number of players and how unlucky everyone is with the snakes. Online games tend to be quicker because nobody has to count.