Pachisi, also known as Ludo, is a classic board game that originated in ancient India. It is a game for two to four players, and each player has four tokens that they need to move around the board. The objective is to move all four tokens from the starting area to the home area, following a set of rules and using the roll of dice for movement. Here are the basic Pachisi (Ludo) game rules:

Objective:

The objective of Pachisi is to be the first player to move all four of your tokens from the starting area to the home area, which is typically located in the center of the board.

Equipment:

• Pachisi board: The board is typically cross-shaped, divided into four arms, and each arm has a set of spaces and a central circular home area.
• Tokens: Each player has four tokens of the same color.

Setup:

• The Pachisi board is placed in the center of the players, and each player chooses a color and places their four tokens in their respective starting area.
• Players take turns in a clockwise order.

Gameplay:

• Rolling the dice: To determine the number of spaces a player can move their token, they roll a six-sided dice. If a player rolls a six, they get another turn to roll the dice.
• Moving the tokens: Players must move their tokens clockwise around the board. The number rolled on the dice indicates how many spaces a player can move their token forward. Tokens can move along the open spaces on the arms of the board and into their respective home area.
• Capturing opponent’s token: If a player’s token lands on a space occupied by an opponent’s token, the opponent’s token is captured and sent back to the opponent’s starting area. The captured token must start its journey again from the starting area.
• Safe squares: The arm of the board leading to the home area usually contains some safe squares marked with a specific symbol. Tokens on these squares cannot be captured by opponents.
• Entering the home area: To enter the home area, a player must roll the exact number needed to land the token into the home space. If a player rolls a higher number, the token moves into the home area and then moves back out again, following the clockwise direction.

Winning:

The first player to move all four of their tokens into their home area is declared the winner.

House Rules and Variations:

Pachisi (Ludo) is a widely played game, and various regions and cultures may have their own house rules and variations. For example, some variations allow the tokens to move in an anti-clockwise direction in the player’s home area or provide special rules for rolling sixes. Be sure to clarify the specific rules being used before starting the game.