How to play Snakes & Ladders? Learn in 5 simple steps!

How to play snakes and ladders

To play Snakes and Ladders, you need to navigate your token from start to finish, by avoiding snakes and taking shortcuts by going up the ladder. If you were born in India, we could safely assume that you know how to play Snakes and Ladders. However, with so many different forms of snakes and ladders available in the market today, you might want to know the rules and regulations to play Snakes & Ladders.

This article will highlight how to play with snakes and ladders in 5 simple steps. You will also learn how to win money playing Snakes & Ladders online. Watch the video below to know how to play Snakes and Ladders online on Zupee:

How to play Snakes and Ladders?

The game’s objective is to move up using the ladders while avoiding landing on the snakes. The player who takes his token to the finish, i.e., the 100th box, is the winner. Here are the 5 steps to play Snakes and Ladders Plus:

  • Step 1: Choose the Snakes & Ladders Board & Token Color
  • Step 2: Decide “Who will start the board game”
  • Step 3: Move the token around the board
  • Step 4: Get an Extra Move
  • Step 5: Win the Snakes and Ladders game
How to play Snakes and Ladders

Step 1: Choose the Snakes and Ladders board and token color

Start the game by choosing a board of your choice. The Snakes and Ladders board comes in different materials like cardboard, plastic, wood, and iron, among others, in the market. The traditional board will have a maximum of 4-player options, but some boards might also have a 6-player option. 

Once you decide on the number of players and board, all players will choose a token color of their choice and place their respective tokens at the start position. 

Step 2: Decide “who will start the board game”

Each player gets to roll the dice, and the player who gets the highest value starts the game. After the first player plays their turn, the group can decide the sequence based on their choice of clockwise or anticlockwise. In some cases, rolling a 6 might be essential to start playing the game. 

Step 3: Move the token around the board

Once a player is at the start position of the game, roll the dice to determine the number of boxes the token will move. If a token lands at the base of a ladder, the token immediately climbs to the top of the ladder. The ladders on the board help with moving ahead in the game sooner. If the token land on the top or middle of a ladder, it can not move down or up the ladder.

When a token lands on a box with a snake’s head on it, the token slides down to the box where the snake’s tail end. The snakes on the board make it difficult for the players to move ahead, so players should avoid landing on them as much as possible. 

Step 4: Get an Extra move

Players get an extra move when they roll a six. As long as the player keeps rolling sixes, they can keep moving. However, while rolling a six they land on the snake’s head or at the bottom of the ladder, they can move down or up and then roll again to take their extra turn.

Step 5: Win the Snakes and Ladders game

Once a token is near the 100th box or the finish, the player has to roll the exact dice value to make it. If the player rolls a number too high, the token remains where it is. 

The first player to reach the 100th box is declared the winner. If more than 2 people are playing, the rest of the players can continue to compete against each other even after the first winner is declared.

Take a look at the rules to play snakes and ladders.

How to Play Snakes & Ladders Online?

The traditional Snakes and Ladders is no doubt a lot of fun and nostalgia but what it can’t do is win you money. That is where Zupee’s online Snakes and Ladders Plus game comes in. An online game of saanp-seedi designed not just to be modern and entertaining but also to help you win money.  

Snakes & Ladders Plus is an online game with live tournaments all day long. Tournaments are played between real and verified players from across India. Within the live tournament lies a great deal of formats that you can choose from. Here are the different formats in which you can play Snakes & Ladders Plus:  

  • Free Game 
  • 1vs1 Battle
  • One Winner 
  • Two Winners
  • Three Winners 
Snakes and ladders plus online format

Once you have chosen the kind of game you want to play and the amount you want to win, you can start playing the game. The rules are different from the regular snakes and ladders. Here are some general rules to play Snakes and Ladders plus:

  • All players have three tokens each instead of just one like in a traditional game of snakes and ladders
  • Every game has a set number of moves at the end of which the game ends. In the 1vs1 format, each player gets 18 moves; in the 1 winner, 2 winner, and 3 winner formats, each player gets 12 moves
  • Unlike the traditional game, players don’t get an extra turn when they roll a six. Instead, an extra move is awarded when a player captures an opponent’s token. An extra move is also awarded for every token that reaches the 100th box or the finish

Let’s look at the steps to play Snakes and Ladders Plus:

  • Step 1: Roll the Dice
  • Step 2: Move the token or Skip the Chance
  • Step 3: Capture the Opponents token
  • Step 4: Earn the maximum no. of points
  • Step 5: Win the game
How to play snakes and ladders plus

Step 1: Roll the Dice

To start the game, roll dice by tapping on the dice icon. The dice will reveal a value which is the number of boxes you can move in this turn. With this, you can move the tokens. Unlike a traditional game, you don’t have to wait to roll a six. 

Step 2: Move the token or skip your chance

To move your token the first time, tap on the tokens icon after the dice reveal the value. The tokens will automatically move as per the number rolled once you tap them. Once one of your tokens is on the board, you will have to choose which token to play by tapping on the respective token. 

If you wish, you can also skip your chance. You are allowed to skip twice during the game. If you skip the game the third time, you will be disqualified.

Step 3: Capture the opponents token

Capture your opponent’s token by landing on their token. The opponent whose token is captured returns to the starting point automatically. This also triggers a loss of all the points accumulated by that particular token of your opponent. The opponent does not have to roll a 6 to reactivate the captured token. The player who captures the opponent’s token gets an extra chance.

Step 4: Earn the maximum number of points

The scoring works differently in online Snakes and Ladders plus. You earn one point for every box moved, and for every token that reaches the 100th box or the finish, you earn 100 extra points. When a token climbs up a ladder, the number of boxes the token jumps gets added to the score. In the same way, when token lands on a snake’s head and gets bumped down, the token loses those many points. 

Step 5: Win the game

Once in the last row, roll the exact dice value to reach the 100th box. If you roll more or less than what is needed, you will have to move another token on the board or miss your turn. The player with the highest score wins the game. The money is split according to the format you choose. In case of a tie, the payout is split between the players. 

Online vs. Classic Snakes and Ladder Game

Here’s a table to quickly understand the difference between how to play classic Snakes and Ladders vs. online gameplay:

Snakes & Ladders (Classic)Snakes and Ladders Plus
Need to roll a six to start the game or roll the highest numberAll tokens are in an open position. No need for a six
Only one token each Three tokens each for every player 
Time is not specified. Can go on for hours Each player gets an equal number of moves.
All players need to be physically present Can play with random players online from anywhere in the world 
Cannot capture or cut opponent’s tokenCan capture or cut opponent’s tokens
Luck determines the values on the dice All players get the same number of values on their dices only in a different sequence
The game-winner is decided based on who is able to reach the endpoint firstThe scoring system determines who wins the game 
Probably no winning money involved Chance of winning up to 5 lakhs! 
Can’t play at any time of the dayLive tournaments all day long

Whatever game you choose to play – online or offline, we hope you have a lot of fun reliving your childhood memories. We at Zupee are all for keeping these games alive! 

How to play Snakes and Ladders: FAQs

How many players can play Snakes and Ladders?

To play snakes and ladders you need two or more players.

What are the rules to play Snakes and Ladders?

One fundamental rule to playing Snakes and Ladders is that your token can go up if you land on the bottom of the ladder. However, if you land on top of the ladder, you cannot slide your token down. Take a look at this article that highlights 10 fundamental rules to play snakes and ladders.

Can I play Snakes and Ladders online?

Yes. You can now play Snakes and Ladders online on Zupee.

What are the skills required to play snakes and ladders?

Counting and observation are two types of skills required to play snakes and ladders.

What are the other names for snakes and ladders?

Some of the names that refer to snakes and ladders are Saanp Seedi, Paramapadham, Moksha Patam, Gyan Chaupar, Golok Dham, and Sa Nam Lam Sha.

Are the rules different while playing Snakes and Ladders online?

Yes. Based on the format of the game, the rules to play Snakes and Ladders online differ from the classic version. For instance, while playing Snakes and Ladders Plus on Zupee, you do not need to roll a 6 to start. However, when you play the classic Snakes and Ladders, you need a 6 to start the game. Take a look at this article to know how snakes and ladders plus rules are different from the classic version.