How to Play Snake & Ladder

Snake & Ladder (also known as Chutes and Ladders or Vikram Bates) is a race between 2 to 4 players on a 10×10 board numbered 1 to 100. Everyone rolls the same die, moves their pawn, and the ladder and snake squares decide how far each player really travels. The first player to land on exactly 100 wins.

The rules in short

1. Roll the die and move your pawn that many squares forward.
2. Land on the bottom of a ladder and you climb to its top, instantly.
3. Land on the head of a snake and you slide down to its tail, instantly.
4. Roll a 6 and you roll again — same turn.
5. Roll three 6s in a row and you are sent back to square 1 and lose the turn.
6. You must land on exactly 100. If your roll would take you past 100, you do not move and the next player goes.

Every ladder and snake on the board

The board this game uses is the traditional layout — 9 ladders and 6 snakes. Ladders take you up, snakes pull you back down:

From	To	Type
1	38	Ladder ↑ 37 squares
4	14	Ladder ↑ 10 squares
9	31	Ladder ↑ 22 squares
16	6	Snake ↓ 10 squares
21	42	Ladder ↑ 21 squares
28	84	Ladder ↑ 56 squares
36	44	Ladder ↑ 8 squares
51	67	Ladder ↑ 16 squares
62	19	Snake ↓ 43 squares
64	60	Snake ↓ 4 squares
71	91	Ladder ↑ 20 squares
78	98	Ladder ↑ 20 squares
87	24	Snake ↓ 63 squares
93	73	Snake ↓ 20 squares
95	75	Snake ↓ 20 squares

Strategy: how to win more often

1. The opening 1 → 38 is the best move on the board

Landing on square 1 launches you to 38 — a jump of 37 squares, the biggest ladder start on the board. Square 9 → 31 (+22) and square 21 → 42 (+21) are the next best. Because the jump resolves instantly, the ladder effectively doubles your travel on that turn, so chasing 1s early is worth far more than it looks.

2. The 28 → 84 ladder is the game within the game

A jump of 56 squares from 28 to 84 can hand you the win outright. Landing on 28 puts you in range of the finish, and it is the single most valuable square to own. If you are around 22–27, try to set up a roll that lands exactly on 28.

3. Treat 87 as the real danger square

The snake at 87 drags you back 63 squares — the biggest drop on the board — straight down to 24. Landing there can undo half a game. If you are sitting in the 80s, your priority is to leave that window immediately, even with a small roll.

4. Square 78 → 98 is your back door to the finish

Landing on 78 fires you to 98, one roll away from victory — you then need an exact 2 to hit 100. Because you must land on exactly 100, treat 98 as a loaded dice rather than a milestone.

5. Snakes at the top are traps, not bad luck

93 → 73 and 95 → 75 both send you back 20 squares, and 62 → 19 sends you back 43. When you are ahead, avoid ending your turn on 61–64 and 92–95: those windows are where big games are lost.

6. Three 6s is a real penalty

The temptation to keep rolling 6s is strong, but the third one sends you back to square 1. When you are ahead, bank your score; when you are behind, chase the 6s.

7. Count the squares, do not count the luck

A good player moves with intent. Before you roll, decide the square you want to land on (a ladder base, 87 avoided), then pick the roll that gets you there. Any other roll is just insurance.

Frequently asked questions

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