Introduction
Ludo is a classic board game where players take control of 4 pawns each and must run the gauntlet of other players (and sometimes other hazards) to reach the safety of their home.
Also Known As
Ludo is in the same family of games as Parcheesi / Pachisi.
House Rules
Most K.R. Engineering games have a variety of options or “house rules” that can be turned on and off by the game owner to change how the game plays. These options can include changing the winning criteria for a game, adding new rules or disabling other rules, or just placing time limits on how long you can be away before the game skips you. It is often helpful to know what house rules you are playing with when you sit down at a game. You can touch the game logo on any K.R. Engineering game to see a list of which options are enabled and which are not.
For owners/administrators wishing to change these options, please see the Administration section of this article.
Getting Started
If you are new to owning a K.R. Engineering game or have upgraded from an older game version, then you may have questions about your new table. Please see this FAQ for answers to some of our most common beginner questions.
Bug Fixes and Upgrades
Most owners of K.R. Engineering games are entitled to free upgrades to newer versions of the game. If a new update is available, then following the updating instructions for your game will result in a new copy of the most recent version being sent to you by the update server. This process is not automatic. You must request an update manually.
If you are having problems with your game, please search this knowledge base or contact us for product support. If the problem you are having has not previously been encountered, a new game version will be released with a fix as soon as possible, and you may qualify for a bug bounty.
DISCLAIMER: The appearance and feature set of games are subject to revision between versions as the capabilities of Second Life change over time. Please see the detailed ChangeLog for your particular game before upgrading. By upgrading. you are agreeing to accept any and all changes that have been imposed on the updated version of the game.
Joining the Game
Most K.R. Engineering games can be played simply by right-clicking on a chair and choosing “Play.”
K.R. Engineering games can be played on a variety of themed furniture objects, and the “chairs” may not always look like chairs. For example, on the Chess theme, the “chairs” are the giant chess pieces. If you are unsure what is a chair and what isn’t on a particular theme, that’s okay! You can right-click and select “Play” on any part of a theme and it will automatically place you in an available chair, even if you didn’t click on a chair specifically.
Important: K.R. Engineering games use a rezzing system. This means that the game (buttons, dice, cards, game boards, etc) is a separate object from the furniture/rezzer/theme. You must right-click on the theme to play, not the game itself, as you cannot sit on the game pieces (such as dice, game boards, cards, etc). You must sit on the furniture around the game to play, not the game pieces.
While most game themes include furniture that you can sit on, there may be some exceptions. The Pocket theme, for example, cannot be sat on, as it has no chairs. Instead, you can join a game on a Pocket theme by clicking the MENU button on the game.
Game Play
The objective of Ludo is to advance all four of your pawns around the board and into the safety of your home row. Your pawns must complete a full circuit of the outer track of the board before being allowed to enter HOME.
Players begin the game (and each of their subsequent turns) but touching the dice. This will roll the dice.
After rolling, players may touch any of their four matching colored pawns to move. Your color is that of the home row directly in front of your avatar. Pawns must meet the following criteria to be movable:
- If a pawn is in its starting circle, then a dice roll of 6 is required to get it out. (Dice roll of 5 is required if using Parcheesi-style rules.)
- If a pawn is in the center of the board, on the grey HOME space, it is finished and may not be moved any further.
- If the dice roll is greater than the number of spaces required to reach the HOME, then you may not move it.
- (Parcheesi-style only) If moving the pawn would end with it sharing the same space as an enemy pawn, and that space is a SAFE space, then you may not move it.
- (Parcheesi-style only) If moving the pawn would end with it sharing the same space as two other pawns regardless of color (a Blockade), then you may not move it.
- (Parcheesi-style only) If moving the pawn would require it to jump over an enemy blockade (two pawns together on the same space), then you may not move it.
- (Ludo only) If moving the pawn would end with it sharing the same space as another of your own pawns, then you may not move it.
In all cases, if a pawn CAN be moved, then it MUST be moved, even if this lands your pawn on a hazard.
(Parcheesi-style only) You may split up your dice roll when rolling with 2 dice. To select which dice to use, simply touch the dice you want to use first and then touch the first pawn you wish to move. Then touch the second pawn you wish to move. The currently “active” die will remain white, while the “inactive” die will turn grey.
If you roll the dice and there are no legal moves for you to make with any of your four pawns, then your turn is forfeit and play automatically passes to the next player.
Landing on an enemy pawn will cause the enemy pawn to be sent back to start. This is known as capturing. (With Parcheesi-style rules enabled, the enemy pawn cannot be captured if it is on a SAFE space.)
If you successfully use your entire dice roll to move pawns, you may roll again if you have rolled a 6. (With Parcheesi-style rules enabled, you must roll doubles instead to get extra rolls.) If you roll a 6 (or doubles) three times in a row, your turn is automatically over and play advances to the next player.
The game is over when one player moves all four of their pawns into the HOME space at the center of the board.
The Ludo board.
Variants
There are many variations of Ludo around the world. Below we illustrate the differences between the variations that are included with this game table. You can switch between these two versions by using the button on the tabletop, or through the Administration menu.
Ludo
The default rules for Ludo are simple.
1) No two pawns can occupy the same space. If you land on an enemy pawn, they get sent home. You cannot land on your own pawn. 2) There is only 1 die. Rolling a 6 lets you launch new pawns from your starting circle and also grants you an additional rolls.
Parcheesi
Parcheesi-style rules are a common variation on Ludo, and have the following differences:
1) Two of your own pawns can share the same board space, creating a blockade that enemy pawns cannot jump over. 2) Landing on an opponent pawn will send that pawn home, UNLESS they are on a designated SAFE space. 3) There are 2 dice used in this mode. Rolling a double will grant you an extra roll on your turn. 4) To launch a new pawn, you must roll a 5, either by having one (or both) of the die showing a 5 or by having both die equal five together. 5) You may split die movement up between pawns, using one die to move Pawn 1, and the other die to move Pawn 2.
Hazards
Our variation on Ludo includes the option of having board hazards. These are specifically designated spots on the board that get reshuffled after every round (after every player has finished their turn). These hazards can be turned off from the button on the table or from the Administration menu.
- Not all hazards are bad, some are actually quite beneficial.
- Hazards will never appear in home rows. They only appear on the main track on the outside of the board.
- Hazards will never appear in the colored starting spaces for players.
- Hazards sometimes appear under pawns after they’ve been reshuffled. Pawns that are already on a space when it becomes a hazard are not effected.
There are 8 types of Hazards that you may encounter:
Hazard: GO BACK
This hazard will force your pawn to go backwards for 3 spaces. In doing so, it is possible that you may land on another hazard which will also effect your pawn. You may also land on an enemy piece, sending them home. All normal rules and effects regarding moving a pawn are still in effect. This means there will be times when it is not possible for your pawn to move backwards 3 spaces, in which case this hazard does nothing.
Hazard: GO FORWARD
This hazard will force your pawn to advance forward for 3 spaces. In doing so, it is possible that you may land on another hazard which will also effect your pawn. You may also land on an enemy piece, sending them home. All normal rules and effects regarding moving a pawn are still in effect. This means there will be times when it is not possible for your pawn to move forward 3 spaces, in which case this hazard does nothing.
Hazard: LOSE TURN
This hazard will force you to forfeit your next turn. You will also lose the remainder of your current turn (such as double rolls, extra turns, etc).
Hazard: BONUS TURN
This hazard will grant you a bonus turn. At the end of your current turn, you will automatically get another turn before play continues to the other players. If you manage to land on more than one Bonus Turn, all of them will be in effect and will take place one after the other. The exception to this is landing on a LOSE TURN hazard, which will nullify any bonus turns.
Hazard: RESTART
This hazard will immediately send your pawn back to your starting circle, the same as if it had been captured by an enemy pawn. You will need to relaunch this pawn and work your way back around the board again.
Hazard: JUMP TO HOME
This hazard will immediately send your pawn to HOME, thus immediately completing its journey around the board.
Hazard: SLOW DOWN
This hazard will cause your next move to be performed at half speed. For example, if you roll a 4 on your next turn, your pawn will only move 2 spaces. This always rounds UP, so rolling a 5 will move you 3 spaces. Rolling a 1 will still move 1 space.
Hazard: RANDOM
This hazard can be any of the previous 7 hazards, and players landing on the same Random hazard may experience different effects. It may be good, it may be bad, you won’t know until you hit it.
Purging
In the event that a player leaves midway through a game, their pawns that remain on the outer track of the game board can cause problems for the remaining players. For this reason, there is a PURGE button on the table. If all remaining players press the PURGE button, then any pawns that have been abandoned by missing players in the outer track of the game board will be sent back to start. Abandoned pawns that are either in their home row or already in HOME will not be purged, because they pose no risk to the remaining players.
Game administrators (including the game owner) who press the PURGE button are not required to get consent of the other players. Their administrative privilege will cause an immediate purge.
Customization
For information on switching out tables and themes, please see this FAQ entry. For an overview of the theme/table administrative menu, please check out our Game Rezzer Administration article. For detailed information on customizing animations and camera views, please see our Player Experience Customization article.
Gaming.SL Live Integration
Gaming.SL Live (also known as Gaming.SL or G.SL) is gaming platform and services system developed by K.R. Engineering, which brings a variety of enhanced features to games in Second Life that are not possible with Second Life alone. In addition to the features described in this article, G.SL can integrate with your table in the following ways.
Leaderboards
Gaming.SL connected games have a grid-wide top score database that allows players to compete and have a pervasive record of their high scores. These high scores can be viewed by using a Top Scores display board in Second Life or by accessing the Top Scores page on the Gaming.SL website. Scores can be filtered down by region, specific game tables, dates, and other criteria.
In addition to recording high scores, games keep a running tally of the total number of times players have won on a game. This information can be viewed on a Top Winners display board in Second Life or by accessing the Top Winners page on the Gaming.SL website. Winners can likewise be filtered by region and other criteria to see a more specific list of winners.
On supported games, players will also be assigned a rank that compares their performance to other players who have played the same game. Players can improve this rank by playing well against other players. Rank information can be viewed on a Top Ranked display board in Second Life or by accessing the Top Ranked page on the Gaming.SL website.
Achievements
Gaming.SL includes support for Achievements in participating games, where-in you can unlock trophies by performing miraculous or mundane feats of gameplay. Achievements are awarded automatically and announced in Second Life when they are unlocked. Players can check their own achievements by visiting the Achievements page on the Gaming.SL website.
Jackpots
Gaming.SL supports the option to have ongoing recurring Jackpots where players can win cash prizes just for playing, no purchase necessary! Visit the Jackpots page on the Gaming.SL website to see the current jackpot standings, and who you need to defeat to win a prize. Prizes are based on ranking on a leaderboard that is erased during each jackpot period. Players must play during each period to be eligible to win during that period.
Licensing
Gaming.SL connected games utilize a licensing system that allows scores, ranks, winners, and other attributes to persist between rezzes of the same game, regardless of location in Second Life. This licensing system also allows games to have COPY permissions while still offering instancing control.
Public Games
Games that use Gaming.SL Live can also optionally be specified as a PUBLIC game by the game’s owner. This will display the game on the Gaming.SL Live Games page, including game status, options, and location, and a button to let a user teleport straight to the game to play. All games default to PRIVATE unless explicitly changed by the owner of the game.
Privacy
See the Gaming.SL Live page for more details on the Gaming.SL Live system, as well as our comprehensive Privacy Policy detailing the information we collect and how we use it.
Administration
To access the game’s administrative menu, simply click and hold your mouse button down on any part of it for two seconds. A menu will pop up on your screen displaying current settings and providing options to change them. (In slow simulators, this may take slighter longer than two seconds, just hold the mouse button down until you see a menu.)
On certain rezzer versions, depending on where you click, you may open the REZZER’S administrative menu instead of the GAME’S administrative menu. This is okay! If you are in the rezzer admin menu, you can switch directly over to the game admin menu by pressing the “Game ↗” button. Likewise if you open the game menu by mistake, and wish to switch over to the rezzer menu, you can simply press the “↙ Rezzer” button.
Some elements of the administration menu are accessible only by the owner, while others can be accessed by anyone who is considered an administrative user, either explicitly added or implicitly through the Group Admin feature.
There are too many options to fit in a standard dialog window, so the window has been divided into pages. You can use the <<< and >>> buttons at the bottom of the admin menu to change which page of options you are currently viewing. If you don’t see the option you want, it’s on another page!
Rezzer Options
Many options that were formerly in the game admin menu have been moved to the table/theme/rezzer admin menu. These are options that are game-independent, such as admin users, branding, sound volume, and updating. These options are now set on the table/theme/rezzer and apply automatically to whatever game is being played on that table or theme. For details on accessing the rezzer admin menu and what options are in it, please see the Game Rezzer Administration article.
Owner-Only Options
- Indicators: A menu for changing the color of the turn indicator lights on the game board.
- Color: An alternate way to access the color/theme menu for the table. This is the same as pressing the Color button on the table top.
Administrative User Options
- ↙ Rezzer: This button will directly open the rezzer’s administrative menu instead of the game’s menu.
- Players: Access the player management menu to skip or evict players from the game.
- Abandoned: Select this button to change the number of seconds the table waits to reset an abandoned game after all players have left.
- Timeout: Select this button to change the number of seconds the table waits for idle players to begin their turn. If they don’t roll before the timeout occurs, the game will skip them for this round.
- Quiet: Enable quiet mode, reducing the amount of chatter that the game will send to local chat.
- Chatty: Disable quiet mode.
- Limit Join: When on limit join, no new players may join after the first roll has been made and anyone who leaves the game has five minutes to return before the game considers them gone. When free player join is off and all players have left the game will automatically reset.
- Free Join: Turns the game back to free join mode, anyone may join at any point during the game. The game will skip abandoned seats and automatically give any newcomers the chance to roll on the next round.
- Evict On: Turn on evicting of players who are idle on their turn, as dictated by the Timeout function above.
- Evict Off: Turn off evicting of players who are idle on their turn. Players who are idle will be skipped instead.
- Hazards On: Enable board hazards. See the Hazards section for more information.
- Hazards Off: Disable board hazards.
- Parcheesi: Use the more complex Parcheesi-style rules. See the Parcheesi section for more details.
- Ludo: Use the simpler Ludo rules. See the Ludo section for more information.
- Local Random: Force game to only use random numbers generated in Second Life.
- Remote Random: Allow game to use (potentially better) random numbers generated by a remote server. See our Remote Random FAQ for details.
- Blocks On: Enable blockades when using Parcheesi-style rules.
- Blocks Off: Disable blockades when using Parcheesi-style rules.
- Bonus On: Enable Bonus Free Moves when capturing an enemy or reaching Home.
- Bonus Off: Disable Bonus Free Moves.
- Jump On: Enable Blockade Jumping, where pawns can jump over a blockade of the same color.
- Jump Off: Disable Blockade Jumping, pawns can not jump over any blockades.
Additional Questions
If you have more questions, please use the search tool on our main page to browse our many helpful articles and FAQ entries. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, you can contact us for assistance.
ChangeLog
You can find the ChangeLog for Ludo by visiting this article.