MKG LudoLudo basics
Ludo Rules: Sixes, Safe Squares and House Rules Explained
Two people can both know Ludo and still disagree about a perfectly ordinary move. One family allows a stack of tokens to block the track; another does not. An app may cancel the third six in a row, while a printed rulebook handles it differently. The useful question is not who has played longer. It is which rules this particular game is using.
Separate the basic race from the variations
The familiar structure is a race with four tokens per colour, a shared track and a home area. Dice rolls control movement, and captures can send opponents back. Those ideas explain the game, but they do not settle every detail.
Use the instructions supplied with your board or the rules screen inside your chosen app as the reference. For a casual game without instructions, write a small house-rule list and make sure everyone agrees. Avoid changing it halfway through because a move feels inconvenient.
Decide what a six allows
A common rule lets you use a six to introduce a token, or move a token already on the track. It often gives an extra roll too. Before playing, settle whether bringing a token out is optional when you already have one in play.
Also settle the consecutive-six rule. Does the third six cancel only that roll, the whole turn, or something else? There is no benefit in memorising an online answer if your board uses a different version. State the exact rule in one sentence that every player understands.
Point out safe squares and stacking rules
A safe square often prevents capture, but not every version marks or treats safety identically. Show each protected position on the actual board. Ask whether different colours can share it and whether it has a limit on tokens.
Stacking adds another question: if two friendly tokens share a square, do they form a blockade? If so, can anyone pass, and how is the blockade broken? These decisions affect movement a great deal. New groups may find it easier to use a version without extra blockade rules for their first game.
Agree on finishing and bonus turns
Many games require the exact number to enter the final home space. Also check whether a capture or bringing a token home awards an extra turn. Some versions add these rewards; others only reward a six.
Imagine a player captures a token and then rolls a six. Knowing how bonuses interact keeps the turn clear. If your rulebook is silent, choose a simple interpretation together before the situation occurs. Record it so the next match uses the same convention.
Use a small rule card for repeat games
Your card can have six lines: starting roll, entry choice, safe squares, stacking, extra turns and exact finish. Add a seventh for time limits if you use them. A photo of that card gives everyone the same reference next time.
When a disagreement still happens, pause the game and check the card. If the situation is genuinely new, agree on an interpretation without blaming the player who encountered it. Apply it consistently for the rest of the match, then improve the card afterwards.
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