Snakes and Ladders Game: how to play

Snakes and Ladders is a free snakes and ladders board game you play online. Slinky, a smiley snake, hosts a race from square 1 to 100 on a classic 10 by 10 board: ladders take you up, snakes slide you down. Race the computer through five bright places, from Sunny Meadow to Starlight Hill, or play with a friend on one device.

How to play

Play snakes and ladders online with a tap: tap the board or press Space to roll two dice, then pick one. A coloured ring shows where each die takes you, with a green arrow for a ladder and a red one for a snake. Tap a die, its square or a button under the board, or press 1 or 2.
The computer rolls one die, the classic way. Land at the foot of a ladder and you climb it; land on a snake's head and you slide down to its tail.
In the first three places, reaching or passing 100 wins. From Sandy Dunes you must land on 100 exactly: a roll that is too big bounces back by the squares left over.
Win the race to clear the level. If the computer gets there first you lose one of your three hearts and race the same board again with a head start of about 5 squares for each race lost there.
Points: 20 a ladder, 25 when your pick dodges a snake the other die would have hit, and for a win 100 times the level plus 2 for every square the computer still had to go. Three stars per level: win, keep all your hearts, and beat the target time.
Two players: pick 2 players on the start screen. Both roll two dice and pick one, taking turns on the Sunny Meadow board; Player 1 goes first and the first to 100 wins. Nothing is saved.

The five levels

Sunny Meadow: 7 ladders and 5 short snakes: roll, pick a die, climb
Blossom Park: flower squares: land on one and roll again (the computer too)
Jungle River: long snakes: the longest drops 43 squares
Sandy Dunes: land on 100 exactly, too big bounces back, and snakes near the top
Starlight Hill: 10 snakes and the biggest one of all, from 99 down to 41

Clear Starlight Hill and the five boards come round again mirrored, and the computer rolls two dice too: on lap 2 it picks the better die half the time, from lap 3 seven times in ten, and then it stays at that. You have three hearts for the whole run, and the game is the same for everyone each day, so you can compare scores. Press M to turn the sound off or on.

Tips

A small number that lands on a ladder beats a big one.
A red arrow means a snake. If the other die is safe, take it.
Near the top in Sandy Dunes and Starlight Hill, count the squares to 100 so you don't bounce onto a snake.
A flower gives you another roll, so it can be worth more than a bigger number.

Questions

Is Snakes and Ladders free?

Yes. Snakes and Ladders is free to play online in your browser: no download, no sign-up and nothing to buy.

Can I play snakes and ladders with a friend?

Yes. Pick 2 players on the start screen and take turns on one phone, tablet or computer: 2 player snakes and ladders for the whole family.

Can I play snakes and ladders on my phone?

Yes. Tap the board to roll and tap a die to move. It works on phones, tablets and computers; on an upright phone the dice sit under the board.

Is it all luck?

The dice are luck, but you choose which of your two dice to use, so looking ahead wins most races. The computer never gets better dice than you.