How to Play
- Choose how many players will race, from two to four. The computer can take any empty seat.
- Everyone starts just off the board. When it is your turn, tap Roll.
- Your token hops forward square by square, following the numbers as they wind left and right up the board.
- Stop at the foot of a ladder and you climb straight to its top. Stop on a snake's head and you slide down to its tail.
- The first player to land exactly on square 100 wins the race.
Rules
The board has 100 squares in ten rows. Square 1 sits in the bottom-left corner, the numbers run left to right along the bottom row, then right to left along the next row, and keep zig-zagging until square 100 in the top-left corner.
This board uses its own layout, drawn just for this site, with eight ladders and eight snakes. Ladders only work upwards: you climb when you stop on the bottom rung, never when you land on the top. Snakes only work downwards: the head is the danger square, and the tail is where you end up. Passing over a snake or a ladder on the way does nothing; only the square you stop on counts.
Rolling a 6 gives you another roll straight away. To finish, you must land on 100 with an exact roll. If the number is too big, your token stays where it is and the turn moves on. Several tokens can share a square, and nobody is ever knocked off.
Tips & Strategy
- Know where the danger sits. The upper rows hide several snake heads, including a nasty one on 97. The last ten squares are where games are often won and lost.
- Enjoy the maths of the finish. From 94 or higher, only certain numbers help you. Work out which rolls land on 100 and which would put you on a snake, so the tension of every throw makes sense.
- A six is a free extra chance. Because a 6 gives another roll, a player who looks far behind can still leap forward, so never give up early.
- Talk it through with young players. Counting the hops out loud is a great way for children to practise numbers up to 100 while they play.
- Short games for quick breaks. A two-player race usually takes just a few minutes, which makes it perfect for a short break between homework tasks.
Game Modes
Play vs Computer lets you race against one, two or three computer players. The game is pure luck, so the computer is just as likely to meet a snake as you are.
Play with Friend is for up to four people sharing one phone, tablet or laptop. Each person taps Roll on their own turn, and you can hand any seat to the computer.
Play Online puts friends and family in different places on the same board, with every roll decided in one place so all screens agree.
Play with Friends Online
Choose Play Online and create a room. You get a room code and an invite link that you can drop into WhatsApp or Telegram, copy, or show as a QR code for someone in the same room to scan. Each player who opens the link picks a name and appears in the lobby. Once everyone is in, the host starts the race, and computer players can fill spare seats if you like. You can cheer or tease each other with preset emoji reactions, but there is no open chat, which keeps the room friendly for children.
Snakes and Ladders FAQ
Is this layout the same as a printed board?
No. The squares, snakes and ladders here follow an original layout made for this game, so the race feels a little different from boards you may have at home.
What happens if I roll more than I need?
Your token does not move. You need the exact number to reach 100, so a player on 98 must roll a 2.
Does a 6 always give another turn?
Yes. Every 6 earns an extra roll, even if it also took you up a ladder or down a snake.
Can two tokens stand on one square?
Yes. Tokens simply share the square. Nobody gets sent back by another player.
Is Snakes and Ladders good for small children?
Very much. There are no tricky decisions, only counting and luck, so younger children can play fairly against older family members.
Last updated: 2026-09-30
