SnakesandLadders,knownoriginallyasMokshaPatam,isanancientIndian boardgame regardedtodayasaworldwideclassic. Itisplayedbetweentwoormore players onagameboardhavingnumbered,griddedsquares.Anumberof"ladders"and"snakes"arepicturedontheboard,eachconnectingtwospecificboardsquares.Theobjectofthegameistonavigateone'sgamepiece,accordingto die rolls,fromthestart(bottomsquare)tothefinish(topsquare),helpedorhinderedbyladdersandsnakesrespectively.
Thegameisasimpleracecontestbasedonsheerluck,andispopularwithyoungchildren. Thehistoricversionhadrootinmoralitylessons,whereaplayer'sprogressionuptheboardrepresentedalifejourneycomplicatedbyvirtues(ladders)andvices(snakes).Acommercialversionwithdifferentmoralitylessons, ChutesandLadders,ispublishedbyMiltonBradley.
TheChutesandLadders,andGyanchaupergamesarealsosimilartothisgame.