Ludo strategy: how to get your tokens out, capture, and win

Ludo looks like pure luck, but good players win far more than their fair share. Here's everything that actually matters — tuned to how Ludo plays on Zamborin, with its two-dice system and double-six release.

Getting out of base

You roll two dice each turn, and a token only leaves base on a double six — both dice showing 6. Each double six releases one token onto your start square, and it also earns you another roll (roll three double sixes in a row and you forfeit the bonus). Because sitting in base is the most frustrating way to fall behind, the game guarantees you a double six within your first ten turns, then at least once every twenty after — so you'll always get moving.

The key insight: the moment a token is out, you're no longer waiting on double sixes. Any number on either die now advances it. Getting that first token onto the board is the whole early game — everything opens up once you have a piece in play.

Splitting your two dice — the real skill

Each turn you move a token by each die separately. You can move one token twice (once per die) or two different tokens once each. That choice is where Ludo stops being luck:

• Use the small die to nudge a token onto a safe square, and the big die to sprint another forward.
• If one die lands you exactly on an opponent (a capture) and the other doesn't, take the capture.
• Near home, save the exact number a token needs and spend the other die elsewhere.

Capturing sends opponents all the way back

Land exactly on a square occupied by an opponent and their token goes all the way back to base — a huge swing, since they now have to roll a double six all over again. Always scan both dice for a capture before making a quiet advance; sending a leader back to zero is often worth more than your own progress. Just don't push a lone token deep into enemy territory to hunt — a captured hunter loses everything it gained.

Safe squares

The starred squares are safe havens — a token sitting on one can't be captured. Use them as stepping stones when you carry a token through the crowded middle of the board, and park on them when you're ahead and want opponents to take the risks.

Blockades — stack two tokens

Two of your tokens on the same square form a blockade that opponents can't pass or capture. A blockade on a chokepoint can stall a whole side of the board. The trade-off is that blockaded tokens aren't advancing — use it to protect a lead or bottle up a threat, not as your default.

Spread out — don't clump

A classic beginner mistake is marching all four tokens in a tight pack. One cold streak of rolls and you're stuck with no useful move. Spreading your tokens means a bad roll almost always has something to do, and you threaten captures across more of the board.

The home stretch — count carefully

To finish, a token travels the full loop and up its home column, landing on the last square by exact count. You can't overshoot — a move that would go past home simply isn't allowed, and you'll have to use that die on another token. As your pieces approach home, plan your dice so you don't strand one needing an exact small number it rarely rolls. Bring tokens home steadily rather than racing one all the way in while the others sit exposed.

2-player vs 4-player

• 2-player is tighter and more tactical — fewer tokens means captures are decisive and blockades really bite.
• 4-player is a longer, noisier free-for-all — the leader draws fire from everyone, so it can pay to sit second and let the front-runner get sent home.

Quick checklist

• Get your first token out — that's the early game.
• Every turn, check both dice for a capture before anything else.
• Use safe squares as stepping stones; park on them when ahead.
• Spread your tokens and keep your options open.
• Near home, protect the exact-count moves you need.

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