How to play Snakes and Ladders
- Pick 2, 3 or 4 players, and whether the others are the computer or friends taking turns on this device. You play red against the computer and choose who starts.
- Click the die or press Space to roll. Your token moves that many squares along the board, left to right on the first row, right to left on the next, and so on up.
- Land at the foot of a ladder and you climb it; land on a snake’s head and you slide down to its tail. The first player to reach square 100 wins.
About the game
Snakes and Ladders is a race game for two or more players on a board of 100 numbered squares. It comes from India, where a version called Moksha Patam was played for centuries before it reached England in the 1800s. Each turn you roll a die and move your token; ladders let you skip ahead and snakes send you back. Because the die decides everything, it’s a fair game for players of any age.
Tips for playing with children
- Count out loud. Moving square by square is good counting practice, and the board’s numbers go all the way to 100.
- Talk about up and down. Ladders and snakes are an easy way to show adding and taking away: from 27 up to 56 is 29 squares.
- Try both finishing rules. With bounce back, a roll that is too high costs you squares; with the exact-roll rule you stay where you are until the right number comes up.