Ludo Life

About Ludo Life

Ludo Life can be played as single player versus bots or multiplayer locally on the device.

Ludo consists of a square board with a cross-shaped play space, with each arm of the cross having three columns of squares, usually six per column. and contains four different colored bases in each corner known as a yard which are typically specified colored green, red, blue and yellow respectively. Each player is assigned a color and has four pawns or can be played by 2 pawns as well.

Middle columns usually have five squares colored; these represent a player's home path. A sixth colored square not on the home path column is the player's respective starting square. At the center of the board is a large finishing square, often composed of 4 respective colored triangles atop the players' home triangle. When a pawn reaches the home triangle, the game is considered to be completed for the pawn.

The roll of a single die controls the swiftness of the pawns. Entry to the finishing triangle requires a precise output on the die from the player. The first to bring all their pawns to the home triangle wins the game. But, the game often continues for other remaining players to determine the second, third and the fourth player.

Gameplay:
- Players rotate turns in a clockwise direction.
- To enter a pawn into play from their yard (to the starting square), the player must roll a 6 in the die.
- Players can draw a pawn from the yard to start position every time they roll a 6, unless the yard is empty or move a playable pawn (if present) six steps forward.
- Every time a player rolls 6, that player is provided with the extra "bonus" roll.
- When three consecutive 6 are rolled by the player, the player will not be able to move the pawn for the last roll of 6 and also the turn will be passed to the next player.
- If the player has no pawns yet in play and rolls another number besides 6, the turn passes to the next player.

Pawn Movements:
- Players must always move a pawn according to the die value rolled in the clockwise direction of the squares. Once players have one or more playable pawns, they can select any one pawn. Passes are not allowed, if no move is possible, the turn moves to the next player.

Safe and unsafe square:
- The squares marked with a star are the safe squares for the pawns. All other squares that do not contain stars are unsafe.
- The home-path which is the path only towards the home triangle of self colored squares is considered to be safe as the opponent's pawns cannot enter other colored squares but must traverse through the opponent's starting square.
- When the pawns are in a safe square then the opponent cannot eliminate the pawns back to the yard.

Eliminating opponent's pawn:
- If the advance of a pawn ends on an unsafe square occupied by an opponent's pawn, then the pawn of the opponent is returned to the respective owner's yard where the owner must roll a 6 again during their own turn in order to move it out onto the starting square.
- The player cutting the opponent's pawn is provided with the extra "bonus" roll as reward.

Finishing the game:
- In the home column, the player must roll the exact number needed to enter the home triangle, else the pawn cannot be moved if the die roll is greater or less than the required number to finish the game.

Customizable rules
- Three consecutive rolls of 6, loses leading pawn:
Rolling a 6 earns the player an additional or "bonus" roll. But, if the third die roll is also a consecutive six, then that player's most advanced pawn is sent back to their respective yard and the turn is passed to the next player.

- Opportunity to eliminate opponent’s pawn must be taken, else your leading pawn will be eliminated.:
When a player rolls the exact number on the die that eliminates an opponents' pawn but chooses not to eliminate that pawn and moves another pawn, then the player's leading pawn will be sent back to the yard.