Snakes and Ladders game is a classic board game where players move their tokens along a series of squares according to throws of a dice. The game originated in ancient India as “Moksha Patam”.
Over the years, this game has gained popularity, and now you can even play it online. The best part – the game’s objective remains the same! Navigate your token, according to the dice roll, from start to finish. But, while you are doing that, make sure you don’t land on a snake’s head and race your token towards the 100th box by moving up the ladders.
Here is a brief overview of the snakes and ladders board game:
| Country of Origin | India |
| Game Genre | Board game, Race game, Dice game |
| Players | 2 or more |
| Playing time | 15-45 minutes |
| Age range | 3+ |
| Skills required | Counting & observation |
| Different names of Snakes and Ladders | Moksha Patam, Chutes and Ladders, Saanp Seedi, Paramapadham, Gyan Chaupa, Golok Dham, and Sa Nam Lam Sha. |
| Online version | Snakes and Ladders Plus |
This article will be your guide towards knowing the classic Snakes and Ladders game, its rules, and the equipment you need. We also compare the gameplay of snakes and ladders classic board game vs. Snakes and Ladders online on Zupee, a fast-paced online game where you can stand a chance to win real money.
So, what are you waiting for? Pull up your sleeves and dive into this guide!
Who invented Snakes and Ladders?
The origin of Snakes and Ladders traces back to ancient India as “Moksha Patam”. It was taken to England and renamed “Snakes and Ladders.” The game was also associated with the Karmic journey, where the squares with ladders meant virtue and snakes meant evil.
Historians and travelers from around the world have written about the various forms of Snakes and Ladders that existed. Some of the travelers even took home the existing versions of the game, which can be found in various museums in England. The game was later introduced in the United States as “Chutes and Ladders”.
Snakes and Ladders Gameplay
You can either play Snakes and Ladders online with live tournaments all day long or can stick to the classic board game. The classic Snakes and Ladders game is a perfect choice when you are off to a game night with your friends and family. However, if you want to play the game on the go and probably win some money out of it, Snakes and Ladders Plus is your best bet.
Snakes and Ladders online on Zupee
You can play Snakes and Ladders Plus between 2-4 players. Each player gets three tokens and an equal number of moves depending upon the number of players in a game. For example, in a 2-player format, each player gets 18 moves, whereas, in a 3 and 4-player format, they get 12 moves.
You can play Snakes and Ladders Plus in 4 different formats, with an entry fee, which is either paid or free of charge:
- 1 vs. 1
- 1 winner
- 2winners
- 3 winners
Gameplay
- The player who starts the game is randomly decided. Moreover, the player does not need to roll a 6 to start the game.
- The number on the dice determines the number of boxes the token will move.
- For each box moved, the player gets 1 point, and if the token reaches home, they earn 100 points.
- The player who earns maximum points wins the game.
To make the game more exciting and competitive, the players can cut their opponent’s token by landing on the same box. When a token is cut, it returns to the starting position, and all points made by that token are lost. The player can also safeguard their token by landing two of their tokens in the same box.
Read this article to know how to play Snakes and Ladders Plus in just 5 steps!
Snakes and Ladders Board Game – Classic version
We all might be familiar with playing the classic Snakes and Ladders game. If not, let us refresh your memory. You can play the classic version between 2 or more players. Once the board is set up, the players can choose a token color and place it at the start position. The game is played with just one token.
Gameplay
- The player who rolls the highest number starts the game, and in some cases, each player needs to roll a 6 to activate their token.
- The number on the dice determines the number of boxes the token will move.
- The player who takes their token to home or 100th box wins the game.
- Unlike Snakes and Ladders Plus, the players cannot capture or safeguard their tokens. They just need to make sure they race quickly to the finish line.
Read this article to know how to play the classic snakes and ladders game.
Why play Snakes and Ladders online?
The game’s objective remains the same while playing Snakes and Ladders online on Zupee. Based on the dice roll, the player navigates the token from start to finish, avoids the snakes, and takes shortcuts by climbing the ladder. However, the gameplay is a bit different from classic Snakes and Ladders. For example, a player gets one token while playing the traditional game, whereas three tokens while playing Snakes and Ladders Plus. Moreover, the winner of the game is decided based on a scoring system while playing online. What’s more?
To play the classic snakes and ladders game, you need:
- A square-shaped snakes and ladders board. The board has numbers 1 to 100. Different boards have snakes and ladders starting and ending on different squares, which affects the duration of the play.
- A dice.
- A token for each player.
Depending on the brand, buying a board might cost you around 100 to 500 INR. But, you can play it for free on your mobile with Snakes and Ladders Plus. Besides, you get 10 INR as a bonus to download the game and play live tournaments. You can even win a chance to win real cash and withdraw your winning instantly!
Snakes and Ladders board game – Online vs. Offline Gameplay
Here are the key differences between the online and traditional Snakes and Ladders game:
| Differences | Snakes and Ladders Online on Zupee | Classic Board game |
| Gameplay | Each player gets an equal number of moves. | Time is not specified. Can go on for hours |
| Tokens | 3 | 1 |
| Players | 2-4 | 2 or more |
| Equipment’s | Mobile phone with decent internet service | Board, Dice, and tokens |
| Winning money | Can win up to 10 lakhs | Probably no winning money |
| Winner | The Scoring system determines who wins the game | The player to reach the 100th box first wins |
Snakes and Ladders board game – Rules
One key factor differentiating Snakes and Ladders Plus from the classic version is the set of rules. Let’s take a look at the rules you need to follow while playing Snakes and Ladders online on Zupee vs. classic board game:
| Rules | Snakes and Ladders Plus | Classic Snakes and Ladders |
| Roll a 6 to get an extra turn | No | Yes |
| Cut an opponent’s token | Yes | No |
| Extra turn to cut a token | Yes | No |
| Safeguard your token | Yes | No |
| Move down the ladder | No | No |
| Move up the snake’s tail | No | No |
| Skip your turn | Yes | No |
| Reach 100th box and win the game | No | Yes |
| Earn maximum points and win the game | Yes | No |
Read this article to know in detail about the rules for playing snakes and ladders online vs. offline.
Snakes and Ladders game – Tips and Tricks
The best tip that we can give you is to understand the rules before playing the game. Many versions of the classic Snakes and Ladders game are out there, with different rules to follow. So, make sure that you know them.
To win the classic game, the player needs to roll the exact number on the dice to land on the100th box. If they fail to do that, the player rolls the dice again in the next turn. Moreover, there is no concept of cutting the opponent’s token or skipping your turn. So, the player’s sole purpose is to pray that he does not land on the snake’s head and get a good number on the dice to reach the 100th position. Basically, it’s purely a game of luck!
To win the Snakes and Ladders plus game, the player needs to strategize his moves right from the start. The player can stop an opponent’s token to reach the 100th position by capturing it and can even safeguard their token. These tweets to the gameplay make the game more strategy-based.
Here are some tips and tricks to play Snakes and Ladders plus:
- Safeguard the token that has advanced the most in the game
- Mitigate the risk of losing points by playing with multiple tokens
- Capture your opponent’s token so that your opponent loses points and you get an extra turn
- Check the opponent’s profiles to look at their wins and losses to get an idea about their gameplay skills
Snakes and Ladders Game – FAQs
Snakes and Ladders is an ancient Indian game played with a board and dice. When you go up the ladder, you progress quickly. However, when you go down a snake, you go backward. Learn how to play snakes and ladders game.
One general rule of snakes and ladders is if a player’s token lands at the bottom of the ladder, they can move to the top of the ladder. If a player’s token lands on the head of a snake, it must slide down to the bottom of the snake. Take a look at this article to know the gameplay rules to follow while playing snakes and ladders.
Yes. Play the snakes and ladders plus with online players and win exciting rewards.
The snakes and ladders game originated in India as Moksha Patam. Take a look at 10 ancient board games that originated in India.
Snakes and Ladders can be played between 2 or more players.
The game’s objective is to navigate your token according to the die rolls. You use ladders to climb up and avoid the snake’s head as it hinders your climb. The aim of the game is to reach the final square, i.e., the 100th Box.