How to Play Chutes and Ladders (Snakes and Ladders)

Chutes and Ladders (US) / Snakes and Ladders (UK/World) is a classic race game for 2–4+ players, ages 3+. Pure luck – no decisions. Perfect for young kids.

Setup

• Board: 10×10 grid numbered 1–100 (snaking: 1 bottom-left → 10 bottom-right → 11 above 10 → ... → 100 top-left).
• Pieces: One pawn per player.
• Spinner / Die: 1–6 spinner (traditional) or 1d6.
• Start: All pawns off board, next to square 1.

Rules

1. Spin / Roll. Move pawn forward that many squares.
2. Land on Ladder Bottom: Climb UP to square at top of ladder. (Good!)
3. Land on Chute/Slide Top: Slide DOWN to square at bottom. (Bad!)
4. Land on Plain Square: Stay.
5. Turn passes left.
6. Win: First to land exactly on 100 (or reach/pass 100 per house rule).

Key Details

• No choice. No strategy. Pure probability.
• Multiple pawns on same square: Allowed.
• Overshoot 100: Official rules: must land exactly. If roll > needed, stay put (or bounce back per house rule).
• Game Length: ~10–30 min. High variance.

Variants to Spice It Up

• Two Dice: Roll 2d6, choose one or sum. Adds tiny agency.
• Question Cards: Land on ? square → answer trivia / do challenge → move bonus.
• Team Play: 2v2, one pawn per team, alternate turns.
• Reverse: Start at 100, go to 1. Ladders become slides, slides become ladders.

Why It's Valuable for Kids

• Number recognition (1–100).
• Counting, one-to-one correspondence.
• Turn-taking, winning/losing gracefully.
• Understanding "forward/backward" as metaphor for progress/setbacks.

History: Originated in ancient India as Moksha Patam (liberation board) – ladders = virtues, snakes = vices. Milton Bradley published US version 1943.