Five Interesting Facts About Ludo

Posted On September 20, 2021

Ludo is a strategic board game played between two to four players. It is a game that requires both luck and strategy. Players need to race their four tokens on the cross-shaped track from start to finish based on the outcomes of the throw of the dice. Here are a few interesting facts about Ludo that probably you didn’t know.

Origin Of the Game of Ludo

The exact origins of Ludo are uncertain, but the earliest proof of this game of Ludo comes from the historic Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, India. The illustrations on the walls depict this game. For long, Ludo has been played on different mediums such as cloth, slate, boards using seeds, shells, or staves. You can now also play Ludo online on your smartphones through mobile apps in the current digital era.

It is said that Ludo is derived from the ancient Indian game of ‘Chausar’, ‘Chopad’ or ‘Pachisi’. The game of Pachisi is mentioned in the Indian epic Mahabharata. Ludo was played in the court of Mughal emperors, and it is said to have originated in India somewhere about the 6^th century. The old version was played with cowries. Ludo has a seemingly rich history and spans everywhere from mythology to history. Popular variations of this have been played worldwide; its Spanish version is known by the name ‘Parcheesi’, while in China, it was known as ‘Chatush pada’ (four cloth). People in Africa call it ‘Ludu’.

Also Read: Three Equipment Of Ludo Game Explained

Structure Formation

The structure of the present game of Ludo is the modified version of the ancient game. Alfred Collier applied for a patent for the reinvention and made improvements in the board game. He modified the game by adding a dice cup to it and registered it for a patent in the UK, naming it The Royal Ludo in the year 1891. England ascribed the rules and structure to this game in the year 1896. Since then, Ludo has received worldwide popularity and became known by its current name. The British Royal Navy played a similar board game and called it by the name of ‘Uckers.’ It is also known as Paraques in Columbia, Fia in Sweden, Trouble in North America, and many more.

Also Read: Is Winning Online Ludo Luck Or Skill?

Dice Fun Facts

The dots that appear on the two opposite sides of the dice are equal to seven. In a dice, the numeral one is opposite to six; two is opposite to five, three is opposite to four.  All of these sums equal seven.

Colors

Ludo features four colours, red, blue, green, yellow, and each player will choose one colour. But why do only these four colours generally appear on the board? Since England patented Ludo, these colours are taken from the flags of the United Kingdom. Red and blue colours come from the flag of England, green from the flag of Ireland and yellow from the flag of Bale.

Also Read: A Short Guide to Ludo: 4 Things To Know

Ludo – Beyond Just a Game

While one may think of Ludo as a game of luck based on the random outcome of the throw of the dice, it is much more nuanced. Without applying a strategy to move the Ludo pieces, a player will find it challenging to make it to the home triangle. Ludo is more than a game; it helps relieve stress, boost concentration, improve cognitive skills, practice skills, and harbour good sportsmanship. It teaches players essential life lessons.

To Conclude:

Hence, the Ludo game is one of a kind. These lesser-known interesting facts about Ludo improves its appeal and conveys that the history of this simple strategy board game is much complex and intense than one would have ever guessed.