Ludo (board Game) - Board

Board

A Ludo board is normally a square marked with a cross. Each arm of the cross is divided into three columns, with the columns divided into usually six squares. The centre of the cross is the finishing square which is often divided into four coloured triangles. Each coloured triangle is combined with a coloured middle column that appears as an arrow pointing to the finish. The shaft of each arrow is a player's "home column" and is five squares long.

To the left of each home column, one square from the edge of the board, is a large starting square, also coloured, with four smaller squares therein, on which each players four pieces are placed. During game play a piece moves from its starting square, clockwise around the perimeter of the board, and up the player's home column to the finishing square. This is opposite to pachisi which runs counterclockwise. In the space to the left of each arm is a circle or square to hold a player's pieces before they are allowed into play. Unlike pachisi, there are no resting squares, but the coloured home column may only be entered by its own player's tokens. However, Ludo played in the Indian Subcontinent has a resting place in each quadrant, normally the fourth square from the top in the right most column.These spaces are usually marked with a star.

The special areas on the board are typically brightly coloured with yellow, green, red, and blue. In some boards, the colours may vary. Each player uses tokens of matching colour, often made of cardboard or plastic.