Ludo is a well-known board game and is famous all around the world. But this exciting game has an ancient history that is quite intriguing. Ludo was popular in 16th-century India. Not only that, it has a special place in the epic Mahabharata. The caves of Ellora also include depictions of this game. See how intriguing its history is? Now, let us dig into the ancient history of this game played and enjoyed by everyone in this modern era.
Ancient Roots of Board Games:
The modern-day Ludo, with its board, dice, and tokens, is a replica of the epic game Pachisi also known as Pacheesi. Players used shells here as tokens, and the layout was rectangular. The rolling of the dice was also slightly different. Variations of this game, also called Chaupar, were played in ancient times. The most notable examples of Ludo in history are the palace halls of Fatehpur Sikri and Agra. Historians recorded that Emperor Akbar used to use the women of his harem as tokens in the game of Ludo. The halls served as the board, and the women were moved as the pieces on the board.
From the ancient roots of Ludo, we move on to the first documentation of Ludo as a game. The game was patented in 1896 by Alfred Collier and became the English game of Uckers when the British Royal Navy adopted it. After being patented in England, Ludo was converted into a cubic die. The die-cut addition did not allow players to cheat while rolling the dice on the board. Britishers introduced the term Ludo. Hence, from being the Royal Game Ludo, it spread to different parts of the world.
Emergence of Ludo Games:
Ludo as a game has its origins in India. It is variously known as Pachisi, Chaupar, Chausar, etc. You can find the earliest depiction in the cave paintings of Ellora in Maharashtra, India, and players used to play this game on a board made of cloth or other materials. Instead of modern-day tokens, there were shells, staves, and seeds. These were used as pieces that moved on the board. However, then, it lacked the modern-day cubic dice usage. Instead, there were cowrie shells, which players threw on the board, and depending on how the cowrie shells fell on the board, the players calculated the movement.
In the epic Mahabharata, the dice were rectangular, and the player used the number two for the game of Pachisi. It determined the course of the tokens. However, as mythology states, the dice were cursed and listened to Shakuni only as they were made from the bones of the dead relatives of Shakuni. It made it extremely easy for the Kauravas to win the game with Shakuni on their side.
Apart from the mythological aspect of the game of Pachisi, people in ancient India enjoyed this game in various forms. Witness the historical grandeur of this game from the life-size gameplay of Emperor Akbar. The emperor’s fondness for this game is visible from the life-size boards in the decorated halls of Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. The women from the emperor’s harem used to play the role of the tokens in the game. With time, the game evolved, and Alfred Collier patented it as Ludo in 1896. Alfred Cooler introduced the dice cup for rolling the dice in this game. Today, Ludo is smoothly available online as an online game that anyone with a smartphone can play.
Variants of the Ludo Game:
Ludo is a mixture of strategy and skill. Thus, people across the world adopted this game in various forms. We have enlisted the known versions of Ludo below:
- Cờ cá ngựa: It is a Vietnamese version of the popular Ludo game.
- Eile mit Weile: It is a Swiss form where players play as pedestrians, coachmen, bicyclists, and motorists, depending on the color.
- Fia med knuff: It is a Swedish game where you roll one to move a pawn, and on rolling six, you may take out two pawns and move those clockwise on the board.
- Pachisi: It is the Indian game where you use cowrie shells for moving pieces on a cross-shaped board.
- Parchís: It is the Spanish version of Ludo where a piece is moved to the first space from the starting corner when five is rolled.
- Parques: This game first surfaced in Columbia as part of the cross and circle family board games. This game is also known as random thinking, and the aim is to take all the pieces to the end.
- Uckers: Adopted by the British Royal Navy, the game of Uckers is about overcoming the complex steps to ensure victory.
Global Popularity and Evolution:
Ludo has gained popularity in the world because it combines skill and luck. Ludo is a versatile and engaging game that provides players with massive satisfaction when they finish their home runs. Moreover, you can adapt this game as per the age of the players. The younger children can enjoy a simplified version of the game where they roll the dice to move their tokens until all of their tokens enter the homeyard.
On the other hand, with blocks or difficulties on the way, you can make it more complex yet fun to play. It is also an instructional game for players as they learn to navigate against the odds. The opponents in the game represent the hardships or difficulties that a person can face on their way toward success.
The educational aspect of this game isn’t overt. Thus, people can smoothly engage with this game and start imbibing the lessons. Online gaming is also a vital reason behind the worldwide popularity of this game. People can easily engage with friends or strangers while playing Ludo online.
Trend (5 years)
The graphical representation below depicts people’s increasing interest in Ludo in the past five years. The trend of Ludo over time shows that interest in this game spiked during the last week of February 2020, and then it tapered down.
Between 2020 and 2021 August, a sharp spike in people’s interest was observed, followed by a similarly sharp decline. From 2021 to 2023, people’s interest in Ludo increased gradually, but the rise has been pretty slow, with long periods of stagnation.
Modern Relevance and Impact:
Ludo is a childhood favorite game for many. Individuals have grown up playing Ludo together with family and friends on holidays and get-togethers. However, the game of Ludo has gone beyond a physical setup with dice and board and has become an immensely well-known online game. The digital world has made gaming smoother and more enjoyable.
There is a fruition of gaming apps and websites on the internet. People having access to a smartphone or desktop can easily download or play games online. A simple signup process is enough for enjoying games on your smartphone. Gaming apps such as PlayerzPot are easy to install and are available on PlayStore.
The modern world has redesigned the gaming experience with eye-comforting visual effects and sound effects that provide users with the actual feel of a game. Virtual gaming applications have a massive impact on the gaming preferences of youngsters and seasoned players as more people sign up for gaming sites or download them on their mobile devices to enjoy uninterrupted gaming at their convenience.
Winning Moves and Strategies of Ludo:
People often consider Ludo a luck-based game because the token movement depends on the dice rolls, which the players cannot control. But, in reality, it is a game of skill, with luck playing a vital role. The movement of the tokens on the Ludo board depends on the strategic distribution of the player. Therefore, luck can help players only when they make the right moves during the game. You may face challenges to sketch a winning strategy as a new player. Moving your tokens quickly without getting killed by other players is the primary aim in a game of Ludo.
Gaming strategy differs per the situation, but some tactics can lead you towards victory. To win a game, you can follow the enlisted tactics:
- Open the tokens for movement on the board as soon as possible.
- Do not be focused on moving only one token across the board.
- Take your numbers into account.
- Choose advancement over killing opponents’ tokens when the token is near the home column.
- Locate the safe squares and the numbers needed to reach those squares.
- If the roll of the dice gives you an unsatisfactory number, move the token that has started its journey from the homeyard.
Conclusion: The Final and the Crucial Takeaways
The ancient era has numerous examples where this splendid game holds a special place. The Indian epic, Mahabharata, already has enough evidence of Pacheesi, so much so that it formed an integral part of the epic. The trajectory of this game is a reflection of its popularity. Thus, today, multiple countries have incorporated this game in various forms. There were slight variations in the rules, and so was the layout. But the core principles of the game remained the same.
Ludo has made its way into online platforms in the present era. So, boards and dice are no longer necessary for enjoying this game. People with a smartphone with an installed gaming app can participate in this game from anywhere.
FAQ
Q1. Who First Invented Ludo?
Ludo existed as Pacheesi and Chaupar in ancient India. It is difficult to trace the inventor of this game in ancient India. Alfred Collier, in 1896, invented the modern Ludo game. He patented this game as Ludo in the same year.
Q2. Who Played Ludo First?
Ludo was first played in India during the time of Mahabharata. Shakuni is known to have played the epic game that cost the Pandavas everything, including their wife. However, people believe that Shakuni manipulated the dice to win the game.
Q3. Which Country Invented Ludo?
Historians believe Ludo’s origins in India are in the form of the game Pachisi. England is said to have invented modern-day Ludo, played with a cubic die in a dice cup. Alfred Collier patented this game in England.
Q4. What Is The Old Name of Ludo?
Ludo is also known as Pacheesi or Chaupar. The game was popular in ancient India. References to this old game are evident in the cave paintings of Ellora. The game was also popular in the royal court of Emperor Akbar.
