Controls

You play by rolling the die. Tap to roll on your turn, and your token automatically moves up the board by the number you rolled. There are no moves to choose, so the game moves quickly.

Two features on the board decide your fate:

• Ladders carry you upward. Landing on the square at the foot of a ladder sends your token straight up to the square at its top, skipping everything in between.
• Snakes send you down. Landing on a snake's head slides your token all the way down to its tail, sometimes undoing a long stretch of progress.

You usually need to land on the final square exactly. Rolling too high can bounce you back, so the last few squares often take a moment.

The game runs across eight levels as a progression, and a rewarded ad can save you from one especially painful snake bite.

Tips

• Enjoy the swings rather than fight them. Because the die controls everything, the fun is in the surprises. Expecting the occasional snake bite makes the big ladder climbs feel even better.
• Know that the finish needs an exact roll. Near the end you often have to land on the last square precisely, so an overshoot bounces you back. Knowing this keeps the final stretch from feeling unfair.
• Use the rewarded save when it counts. Being offered a way out of a long snake late in the race is worth taking, since one big slide near the top can decide the whole game.
• Keep it social. Snakes and Ladders shines as a game to play with others, where the groans and cheers at each roll are half the entertainment.
• Don't read strategy into the rolls. There is no way to influence the die, so chasing a 'system' only leads to frustration. Letting go and playing the roll you get is the right mindset.
• Play a few rounds in a row. Since any single game is decided by luck, a short series evens things out and gives everyone a fair shot at coming out ahead.

Frequently asked questions