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About this guide: This is an independent explanation of the traditional game, with original artwork and an example board designed for this page. Boards and rules vary between publishers. See Orchard Toys’ official instructions (PDF) for one children’s edition, and follow the instructions supplied with your own set.

A ladder can send you racing ahead. A snake can bring you tumbling back. Snakes and Ladders is a simple race along a numbered path: roll the die, move your counter, and see where you land. There are no words to find, pieces to capture or points to add up. The first player to reach the final square wins.

*Use your set’s player limit and give everyone a distinct counter. For the examples here, we use a 1–100 board, one six-sided die, a start just before square 1, no extra turn for a six, and an exact roll to finish. An overshoot means staying put. Agree on these details before playing.

Read the path

Follow the numbers upwards, one square at a time. On this board, 1–10 run left to right along the bottom. The next row runs back from 11 to 20, right to left. Keep turning at the end of each row. Moving to the next number matters more than moving in a particular direction.

Set up the game

1. Choose a counter each. A coloured pawn, disc or other distinct marker represents you. Put it beside the board, just before square 1. It shows your position, not a score.
2. Choose who starts. For this guide, everyone rolls once and the highest roll starts; re-roll any tie for highest. Some sets ask the youngest player to begin.
3. Take turns clockwise. Keep the die where everyone can reach it. You do not need a special roll to enter in the version explained here.

From the start, a roll of 3 takes you onto 1, then 2, then 3. You finish on square 3. Once you are on the board, do not count the square you already occupy as your first step.

What happens on your turn?

1. Roll once. Move forward that many numbered squares.
2. Check the square where you finish counting. A ladder’s bottom sends you to its top; a snake’s head sends you to its tail. Otherwise stay on that square.
3. Pass the die. Climbing or sliding finishes the same turn. It does not give you another roll in this version.

For example, from square 8 a roll of 4 means visiting 9, 10, 11, 12. You turn the corner between 10 and 11 and stop on 12. You do not jump directly to the square above 8 or choose a shorter route.

Land on a ladder: climb

If your counted move ends at the bottom of a ladder, move straight to its top. This climb is part of the same move: do not count its rungs or spend another turn travelling up it.

Here, 1 + 3 = 4, and our ladder connects 4 to 17. You finish on 17. If you had rolled 4 instead, you would pass through 4 and stop on 5, missing the ladder. Landing directly on 17 does not send you back down it.

Land on a snake: slide

A snake works in the other direction. Land on its head and follow its body down to its tail. You cannot choose to stay at the top. Passing over the head while counting is harmless, and landing on the tail does not send you upwards.

Here, 16 + 2 = 18, then the snake sends you to 2. On your next turn, start counting forward from 3. Sliding back can feel dramatic, but you are still in the race.

Sharing a square

Two or more counters may occupy the same square in the rules used here. Place them side by side so the number stays readable. You do not capture another player, send them to the start or block their path. A snake or ladder moves only the counter whose turn it is.

Reach the finish

In our exact-finish version, you must land on 100. If your roll is too large, stay where you are and wait for your next turn. Do not move to 100 and bounce backwards unless you have agreed to play that variation.

From 97, a 5 would take you past the finish, so you stay on 97. A 3 on a later turn reaches 100 and wins immediately. If your own board has a ladder ending on its final square, landing at that ladder’s bottom and climbing to the finish can also win.

Check these variations before starting

• Starting position. Some sets place you on square 1 before your first roll; others start off the board. This changes where the first roll takes you.
• Rolling a six. Some families require a six to enter or award another turn for rolling one. Neither applies in the examples above.
• Finishing. An exact roll with an overshoot forfeiting the move, a bounce back, or simply reaching or passing the finish are different rules. Pick one, rather than switching during play.
• Board size and equipment. Children’s sets may have a shorter track. Some editions use a spinner instead of a die. Follow their numbers and use their final square as the goal.

For example, Orchard Toys’ linked children’s edition does not require an exact roll to finish. Hasbro’s linked Chutes and Ladders edition does. Chutes perform the same backwards movement as snakes, but the publisher’s board and other details are specific to that edition.

Make the first game easy to follow

• Say each number as you move. From 8, count “9, 10, 11, 12” for a roll of 4.
• Finish counting before checking the picture. You only climb or slide when you land on the right endpoint, not when you pass it.
• Let everyone move their own counter. Help with the counting when needed, and leave the die with the player whose turn it is.
• Expect the lead to change. With these rules, the die and the board determine every move. There is no strategic choice that guarantees a win; the fun is seeing what happens next.

Publisher rule examples

• Orchard Toys: My First Snakes & Ladders (PDF; no exact roll needed)
• Hasbro: Sesame Street Chutes and Ladders (PDF; exact finish)

Our board, snakes, ladders and worked examples were created for this guide. They do not reproduce a publisher’s board illustration or character artwork.