This classic children’s board game is beloved by many people. It is a great family board game and would make a fantastic addition to any game night. Of course, adults will also be sure to enjoy the classic gameplay too.
What is the Chutes and Ladders Game?
Chutes and Ladders is an offshoot of Snakes and Ladders. The two games share many similarities and play in much the same way, aside from a few minor cosmetic differences. But these games are based on something much older.
The ancient Indian game of Moksha Patam was brought to the UK in the late 1800s. It is this game that inspired Chutes and Ladders. While there are many variations of these Chutes and Ladders style games in the classic game set, you won’t use dice!
Movement is instead controlled by a spinner that will allow you to move between 1 – 6 spaces when spun. If you instead use dice, you can employ a few different rules. We’ll talk more about these in the rules section below.
The game starts with all players starting on the one square at the bottom of the board. The youngest player typically goes first and spins the spinner to move their character token. The aim of the game is to be the first player to get to square 100 at the top of the board.
Now, of course, to reach your goal quickly, you’ll want to land on ladders. If you land on the bottom of a ladder, you can climb up it; this allows you to take a shortcut and avoid numerous other squares.
The danger comes in the form of chutes! If you land at the top of a chute, you’ll ride it down to the bottom of the board. Eventually, when one player reaches the top square, they’ll win, and the game is over!
That’s the basics of the game explained, but there are a few extra things to talk about. But before we look at the rules in more detail, we need to look at what you’ll need to play this classic four-player board game.
What You’ll Need To Play?
Finding a Chutes and Ladders board game should be pretty straightforward. You can also find many different versions in shops and online. For example, Hasbro has its very own Chutes and Ladders board game.
But you can find many themed versions of it available as well! Many of these are aimed at children, like the Disney-themed Chutes and Ladders board game! Once you’ve got your board game, you can get ready to play, but first, read our guide for all the information you need.
Rules and Gameplay
The Aim of The Game
To win Chutes and Ladders, you need to reach the top square or box 100! While this might sound simple enough, it will require a little luck if you want to avoid all those troublesome chutes.
The Set-Up
Chutes and Ladders can usually be played with between two to four people. Some versions of the game will have character tokens for more than four people, but four is the standard maximum.
Once every player has chosen their token, you can get ready to start playing. Typically, the youngest player should go first, but there are many ways you can decide the play order if you’d like to try something a little different.
One fun alternative is to have every player spin the spinner. The play order is decided on the number each player gets. For example, the player with the highest/lowest number can go first, etc.
Playing Chutes and Ladders
Players take turns moving their tokens, using the spinner to see how many spaces they move. If you land at the bottom of the ladder, you can move your token up it. This will allow you to shortcut part of the board.
However, if you land at the top of a chute, you need to move your token down to the bottom! Depending on your luck, it could take you quite a while to reach the top of the board, or you get to square 100 in just a few rolls. The game, much like Battleship, is very unpredictable.
When you get to the top of the board, the game can finish in a few different ways. Many rule sets say you need to roll into square 100 with a specific spin. If you don’t roll exactly right, then you move back to the square you were on and will have to try again on your next turn.
Not everyone enjoys this rule, though, as it can make the end game more challenging and isn’t as fun. So, if you want to ignore this rule, you can. Just make sure everyone is aware of it before you start playing!
Playing With Dice
Chutes and Ladders can also be played using a die or two if you enjoy dice games. If you use one die, then it works just like the spinner. However, if you use two dice, you can use the doubles rule.
This works just like it does in Monopoly; if a player manages to roll a double, they can roll again. However, unlike Monopoly, players only get one extra turn. This way, a player won’t be able to move continuously if they roll repeated doubles.
Reverse Games
One fun twist to the typical Chutes and Ladders game is to reverse how the chutes and ladders work. In this game variant, players will move up the chutes and go down the ladders. It’s only a small change, but it can make a big difference to how the game plays.
Chutes and Ladders – The Classic Children’s Game
Chutes and Ladders is a classic children’s board game. It’s great for family game nights and can even help children develop their mathematic skills. But whether young or old, everyone will enjoy playing this fun board game.
