Controls

You play by rolling the die. Tap to roll on your turn, and your piece automatically moves up the numbered board by the amount rolled.

Two features decide your fate, each carrying meaning:

• Ladders (virtues) carry you upward. Landing at the foot of a ladder sends you climbing to its top, and in the original game each ladder is marked with a virtue.
• Snakes (vices) drag you down. Landing on a snake's head slides you to its tail, and each snake represents a vice, undoing your progress as a lesson in consequence.

You need to reach the final square exactly to win, which represents attaining moksha. Overshooting bounces you back.

The difficulty rises across eight levels for a steadily quicker and closer race.

Tips

• Embrace the swings. The die decides everything, so the fun is in the ups and downs, and expecting the occasional snake makes the ladder climbs feel all the sweeter.
• Know the finish needs an exact roll. You have to land on the final square precisely to win, so near the end an overshoot bounces you back, which keeps the last few squares tense.
• Don't despair over a big snake. A long snake near the top is a heavy setback, but it hits everyone, and the race often turns around, so a slide down isn't the end.
• Enjoy the meaning behind it. The virtues and vices on the board are part of what makes Moksha Patam special, so noticing them adds a layer of interest the plain version lacks.
• Play it as a social race. Like all snakes-and-ladders games, it shines with others, where each snake and ladder draws groans and cheers, so it's best enjoyed lightly and together.
• Run several rounds. Since a single game is decided by luck, playing a few evens things out and gives everyone a fair chance at liberation.

Frequently asked questions