Snakes And Ladders

SnakesandLaddersisanancientIndianboardgameregardedtodayasaworldwideclassic.Itisplayedbetweentwoormoreplayersonagameboardhavingnumbered,griddedsquares.Anumberof"ladders"and"snakes"arepicturedontheboard,eachconnectingtwospecificboardsquares.Theobjectofthegameistonavigateone'sgamepiece,accordingtodierolls,fromthestart(bottomsquare)tothefinish(topsquare),helpedorhinderedbyladdersandsnakesrespectively.Thegameisasimpleracecontestbasedonsheerluck,andispopularwithyoungchildren.Thehistoricversionhadrootinmoralitylessons,whereaplayer'sprogressionuptheboardrepresentedalifejourneycomplicatedbyvirtues(ladders)andvices(snakes).

Howto
Eachplayerstartswithatokenonthestartingsquare(usuallythe"1"gridsquareinthebottomleftcorner,orsimply,offtheboardnexttothe"1"gridsquare)andtakesturnstorollasingledietomovethetokenbythenumberofsquaresindicatedbythedieroll.Tokensfollowafixedroutemarkedonthegameboardwhichusuallyfollowsaboustrophedon(ox-plow)trackfromthebottomtothetopoftheplayingarea,passingoncethrougheverysquare.If,oncompletionofamove,aplayer'stokenlandsonthelower-numberedendofa"ladder",theplayermustmovethetokenuptotheladder'shigher-numberedsquare.Iftheplayerlandsonthehigher-numberedsquareofa"snake"(orchute),thetokenmustmovedowntothesnake'slower-numberedsquare.
Ifaplayerrollsa6,theplayermay,aftermoving,immediatelytakeanotherturn;otherwiseplaypassestothenextplayerinturn.Theplayerwhoisfirsttobringtheirtokentothelastsquareofthetrackisthewinner.
Avariationexistswhereaplayermustrolltheexactnumbertoreachthefinalsquaretowin.Dependingontheparticularvariation,iftherollofthedieistoolargethetokeneitherremainsinplaceorgoesoffthefinalsquareandbackagain.Forexample,ifaplayerrequiringa3towinrollsa5,theywouldmoveforwardthreespacesandthenbacktwoagain.Incertaincircumstances(suchasapersonrequiringa1towinrollinga6),aplayercanendupfurtherfromthefinalsquareafterthismovethanbeforeit.