About Snakes & Ladders
Snakes and Ladders is a race to square 100 decided entirely by the roll of a die. Ladders carry you up the board and snakes send you sliding back down, so the lead can change hands in a single roll. You race a computer opponent on a classic 10x10 board.
How to play
- The board is numbered 1 to 100 in a zigzag from the bottom-left corner. Both tokens start off the board, and you always roll first. Your token is blue and the computer's is red.
- On each turn, roll one die and move forward that many squares.
- Landing on the foot of a ladder takes you up to its top. Landing on the head of a snake slides you down to its tail. There are 7 ladders and 9 snakes; the longest snake runs from 99 down to 41.
- Rolling a 6 gives you another roll, for both you and the computer.
- You must reach 100 exactly. If the roll would take you past 100, you stay where you are.
- The first player to land exactly on 100 wins. The Wins counter tracks your wins, and your Best is the highest number of wins you have reached.
Controls
- Press Roll to roll the die and move your token automatically.
- Ladders are drawn as green dashed lines and snakes as red lines across the board.
- The message under the die explains each roll, including ladders, snakes and overshoots.
Tips and strategy
- There are no decisions to make; the game is pure luck, which is why it suits younger players. The fun is in the swings.
- Watch the danger zone near the top. Snakes start on 89, 97 and 99, so the last row can undo a whole game.
- A first roll of 4 lands on the ladder from 4 to 25, the best possible start.
- Use the game to practise counting: before each roll, work out which numbers would hit a ladder or a snake.
Background
Snakes and Ladders comes from ancient India, where a game known as Moksha Patam or Gyan Chaupar used the board as a moral lesson, with ladders standing for virtues and snakes for vices. It was brought to Britain in the late nineteenth century and became a popular children's game there. In the United States, Milton Bradley published a version called Chutes and Ladders in 1943.
Questions
- Is there any strategy?
- No. Every move is decided by the die, and neither you nor the computer makes any choices. Both sides have the same chances apart from your small advantage of rolling first.
- What happens if I roll too high near the end?
- You stay on your square. You need the exact number to land on 100.
- Does a 6 always give another roll?
- Yes, for both players, as long as the game has not just been won.