How to play Ludo with two players

Two-player Ludo is a fast head-to-head version of the same classic game. Each person chooses one colour and uses its four tokens.

Set up

Sit on opposite sides of the board if possible. Each player puts four tokens in their colour yard. Decide who starts, then take turns rolling.

Play by the usual rules

You normally still need a six to leave the yard, move clockwise around the track, capture lone opponent tokens on ordinary squares and use an exact roll to enter home.

Why two-player Ludo feels different

There is only one opponent, so every capture has a clearer effect. Safe squares and timing are especially important because you can concentrate on one rival’s tokens.

Optional quick-game choice

If both players want a short practice game, agree to use two tokens each before you start. Say this clearly first: it changes the length of the game, not the normal rules.

Ready for the classic group version? Read how four-player Ludo works.