Snakes & Ladders

The Ancient Game of Virtue & Vice

One of the world's oldest board games, Snakes & Ladders began in ancient India as Moksha Patam — a game of morality where ladders were virtues lifting you toward liberation and snakes were vices dragging you back. Known regionally as Vaikuntapali in Telugu, Paramapadam in Tamil, and Saanp-Seedhi in Hindi, it spread across the globe in the 19th century. Roll the dice, ride the ladders, dodge the snakes, and race to square 100.

How to play

• On your turn, roll the dice and move forward that many squares
• Land on a ladder's foot to climb straight to its top
• Land on a snake's head to slide down to its tail
• Roll a 6 to earn an extra turn
• Land exactly on 100 to win — overshoot and you bounce back

More games: Tiger Hunt · Nine Men's Morris · Ludo · Checkers

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