How to play snakes and ladders online
- Add the players. Type or paste up to 12 names, one per line. Each becomes a coloured token on the Start square and gets a row in the list beside the board, with its own die.
- Choose a board. Press 🗺️ at the top of the game to move through the five levels: Classic board, Jungle, Space, Sweet shop and Castle.
- Roll the dice. Press Roll the dice, tap the board or press the Space bar. Every token rolls at the same time and hops forward square by square.
- Climb and slide. A token that lands at the foot of a ladder climbs it; one that lands on a snake's head slides down. It takes the exact number to land on the last square, and the first token there wins and gets a crown.
Why snakes and ladders?
Almost everyone knows the rules, from five-year-olds to grandparents, so nobody needs an explanation. The race swings back and forth: a token that leads by a mile can meet a snake near the top, so the whole group keeps watching until the very last roll. Each round is short and every player moves at once, which makes it a lively way to choose who goes first or who gets the next turn. Because the winner is chosen before the first roll, it is exactly as fair as drawing a name from a hat; the board just makes the wait more fun.
Ideas for snakes and ladders
- Who goes first: put the players' names on the board before a board game, a card game or a round of video games.
- Classroom turns: choose who reads, answers or presents next. Tick Rank everyone to get a full order for presentations.
- Family game night: add photos of the family, or start each name with an emoji such as
🦁 Leo, and the pictures appear on the tokens. - Prizes and chores: race for who picks a prize first, or who has to do the washing up.
- A big-screen race: press fullscreen and play on a TV or projector, or share your screen on a video call with friends.
Snakes and ladders uses the same list as every game on the picker, so you can switch to the horse, car and snail race or the duck race without typing the names again. For ready-made lists to play with, see the lists.
Questions people ask
How does this snakes and ladders game work?
Every name is a coloured token waiting on the Start square. Each time the dice roll, all the tokens roll together and hop forward one square per spot on their die. Land at the foot of a ladder and you climb it; land on a snake's head and you slide down to its tail. You need the exact number to land on the last square: a roll that is too big means staying put for that round. The first token to land on the last square wins.
Is it fair if the dice decide?
The dice don't decide. When you press Roll the dice, your browser's secure random generator chooses the winner first, and every name has the same chance (or more, if you give a name extra chances with Name *3). The game then works out dice rolls that end that way and plays them out, so the rolls you see only act out a result that was chosen fairly beforehand. How it works explains the picking in more detail.
Can I play snakes and ladders online with friends?
Yes, together on one screen. Put everyone's names in the list, then play in the same room, on a TV or projector, or share your screen on a video call. There is nothing to install and no sign-up. To send a friend the same list, press 🔗 Share on the game: it copies a link with your names, and their device plays its own game.
What are the five levels?
Classic board has 100 squares with wooden ladders and snakes. Jungle has 64 squares with bamboo ladders and vines. Space has 72 squares with rockets that fly you up and wormholes that drop you down. Sweet shop has 80 squares with candy-striped ladders and liquorice slides, and Castle has 48 squares with stairs and slides. Press the 🗺️ Level button at the top of the game to move to the next board, or choose one under Level in Settings. The rules are the same on every board; smaller boards just feel quicker.
How many players can there be?
Up to 12, so every token and every name in the list beside the board stays easy to read. With more names the picker switches to Quick pick. For a bigger group, the duck race and the marble race take up to 30 names, and names in a hat takes any number.
Can I have 2nd and 3rd place, or rank everyone?
Yes. Set Winners in Settings, or tick Rank everyone. The tokens reach the last square in that order, one round apart, and each gets a numbered medal beside its name. After the winner, the remaining rounds play faster, so you are not kept waiting for every place.