How to Play Snakes and Ladders

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Jaques of London was among the first to publish Snakes and Ladders in Britain.

Snakes and Ladders is a race board game for 2 to 6 players, played on a numbered grid of 100 squares. Ladders carry you forward; snakes send you back. The rules take under a minute to learn, which makes it one of the most accessible games in existence and a reliable choice for mixed ages around the same table.

It is played at home, in schools, and in hospitals worldwide. Jaques of London was among the first to publish Snakes and Ladders in Britain. The game's combination of suspense, instant reversal, and zero reading requirement keeps it compelling for young children and satisfying for adults playing with them.

A little history

The game's precise origins are unclear, though it is traditionally linked to ancient India, where versions known as Moksha Patam or Gyan Chaupar used the squares to represent virtues and vices as a moral teaching tool. It reached Britain during the Victorian era, most likely brought back by soldiers and administrators from the subcontinent, and was adapted into the familiar race format that is standard today. The moral symbolism of the original largely disappeared in British editions, leaving a straightforward game of chance.

Setting up

1. Place the board flat in the centre of the table so all players can reach it.
2. Each player chooses a token and places it off the board, beside square 1. Tokens are not placed on the board until a player takes their first turn.
3. Decide the starting order. The most common method is for each player to roll the die once; highest roll goes first, with ties re-rolled. Play then proceeds clockwise.
4. Keep the die within easy reach of all players.

How to play

1. On your turn, roll the die and move your token forward by exactly that number of squares, counting up from your current position along the numbered path.
2. If your token is off the board, roll and move onto the board: a roll of 3 places you on square 3, and so on.
3. If you land on the foot of a ladder, move your token immediately to the square at the top of that ladder. This counts as your move for that turn; you do not roll again.
4. If you land on the head of a snake, move your token immediately to the square at the snake's tail. This counts as your move for that turn; you do not roll again.
5. If you land on a square already occupied by another player's token, both tokens simply share that square. There is no capture or penalty in standard rules.
6. Play passes clockwise to the next player after your move, including any snake or ladder effect, is complete.
7. To win, you must land on square 100 by an exact roll. If your roll would take you beyond square 100, you do not move at all that turn, and play passes to the next player. You try again on your next turn.
8. The first player whose token lands exactly on square 100 wins the game.

Winning and scoring

The winner is the first player to land exactly on square 100. An exact roll is required: if you are on square 97 and roll a 5, you stay put and wait for your next turn. There is no counting backwards from 100 in standard rules. Once a winner is declared, other players may choose to continue to determine second and third place, but this is optional.

The fine points

The most common dispute is what happens when a roll overshoots square 100. Standard rules are clear: the player does not move. Some households play a 'bounce back' variant where excess squares are counted backwards from 100, but this is not the standard ruling and should be agreed before the game begins. If a snake's tail or a ladder's foot happens to coincide with square 100 on an unusual board layout, treat the square as a normal finish square and ignore the snake or ladder effect.

A second frequent question concerns landing on the bottom of a snake that sits on the top of a ladder, or vice versa, on boards where these overlap. On the rare board where this occurs, follow only the effect of the square you land on directly: if you climb a ladder and arrive at a snake's head, you then slide down the snake.

How to win more often

• There is no strategic element in the core game: every outcome is determined by the die. Accept this and focus on managing the experience rather than the result.
• When playing with young children, point out the numbered path aloud as you count moves. It reinforces number recognition without slowing the game.
• If you are introducing the game to new players, identify the most dangerous snakes and the most rewarding ladders on your particular board before play starts. This raises anticipation and helps players understand the stakes.
• Keep turns moving briskly. The game's tension comes from momentum; long pauses between rolls flatten the excitement.
• If you want a shorter game with older children, agree before starting that the first player to reach or pass square 50 triggers a final round, after which the player furthest along wins. This cap keeps the game tight.

Variations

Exact Finish with Bounce Back

When a player's roll overshoots square 100, they move forward to 100 and then count the remaining squares back down the board. For example, if on square 98 and rolling a 5, the player moves to 100 then back 3 squares to 97. This removes the frustration of waiting for an exact roll and shortens endgame stalling, though it is not the standard rule.

Teams

With six players, split into two teams of three. Each team nominates a single token and players within each team take alternating turns moving it. The first team's token to reach square 100 wins. This version works well in classrooms or when one player is significantly younger and benefits from shared decision-making.

Multiple Tokens

Each player controls two tokens, both starting off the board. On each turn the player rolls once and chooses which of their two tokens to move. A player wins when both of their tokens reach square 100. This adds a modest layer of decision-making and extends play time, and suits players who want a slightly more engaged experience.

Timed Rounds

Set a timer for 20 minutes. When it expires, the player whose token is on the highest-numbered square wins. If two players are on the same square, they share the win or roll off. This variant is useful when you need a defined end point for a session and works particularly well with younger children who may otherwise lose focus in a long game.

Snakes and Ladders: frequently asked questions