Play African Ludo online.
Chale, the yard is open.

Looking for a game of Ludo, or Ludu, with your people? Ludo Yard brings a Ghana-inspired board to your browser. Play for free with friends, challenge the computer or pass one device around. No account or download required.

Chale, let’s play

A little piece of Ghana. A yard for everyone.

Ludo is as much about the people around the board as the numbers on the die. Ludo Yard is built for that shared experience: a good kick, a close finish and plenty of friendly bragging rights.

Our dark theme, kente-inspired details and school wall bring a little hometown personality to the game. You don’t have to be Ghanaian to join in. Pick a colour and find your seat.

Why play Ludo in your browser?

  • No app to install. Open ludoyard.com on your phone, tablet, laptop or desktop.
  • No account to create. Choose a name and colour, or use a default name, and get started.
  • Friends on different devices. Share a private room code or invite link so everyone can join from their own browser.
  • A board that feels alive. Tap the white die to spin it, watch pieces take each step and celebrate captures and wins. Sound effects can be muted.

One game. Three ways to play.

  • Online with friends. Create or join a private room for two to four players. Share the code or invite link with your group.
  • Against the computer. Play solo with one, two or three computer opponents.
  • Pass and play. Turn one phone, tablet or computer into a shared board for two to four people.

Choose your game mode, add player names and colours, then decide on the rules. Online games currently use private rooms; public matchmaking is not available.

How Ludo Yard works

Each player has four pieces. Roll a six to bring a piece out of the yard, move around the board and get all four pieces home before your opponents.

  • Six to enter. A six brings a piece into play and earns another roll. Three consecutive sixes end your turn.
  • Kick to send a rival back. Land on an opponent’s piece on an unprotected square to return it to their yard.
  • Safe stars. Pieces on marked safe squares are protected from captures.
  • Exact roll home. You need the exact number to finish a piece. The first player with all four pieces home wins.
  • No extra roll for a capture or reaching home. Only rolling a six earns another roll.

You don’t need a capture to enter home. Pieces can share and pass squares; stacked pieces do not create blockades.

Optional house rules: choose your extra kicks

African Ludo rules vary from group to group. Ludo Yard starts with its classic rules, with all three extra kicks off by default. Enable the ones your group wants during setup.

  • Back kick. Move backwards by the die value when that move captures an opponent. You cannot move behind your own starting square.
  • Parallel kick. Count forward, then cross your own lane to capture an opponent on the corresponding outer-track square.
  • Home kick. Land on an outer-track square beside an opponent’s home-lane piece to send it back to the yard. Your attacking piece stays outside; finished pieces are protected.

Read each rule’s explanation in setup before switching it on, so everyone knows what to expect.

A few tips for your next round

  1. Give yourself options. Bringing more pieces into play gives you more choices when the next roll arrives.
  2. Watch the safe stars. Use them to protect a piece when opponents are close behind.
  3. Look before you kick. A capture sends a rival back, but it does not award another turn.
  4. Plan for the home stretch. Keep the exact-roll requirement in mind when choosing which piece to move.

“We were here some.” Leave your name on the wall.

Inspired by the names Ghanaian school completers leave on classroom walls, our shared wall is a place to leave a little trace of your visit.

Pan and zoom through scattered handwritten names, then add yours with an optional national flag. After a game, you’ll get an invitation to leave your mark. No profile or follower count—just your name among the people who passed through the yard.

Explore the wall

Questions before you roll?

Is Ludo Yard free to play?

Yes. Computer games, pass-and-play and private online rooms are free to play in your browser. No account or app download is required.

Can I play on my phone with someone on a computer?

Yes. Create a private online room and share its code or invite link. Each player can join from their own phone, tablet or computer.

Can I play alone?

Yes. Choose Play computer and select up to three computer opponents.

Are the house rules required?

No. Back kick, Parallel kick and Home kick are off by default. Choose the rules your group wants before starting.

Is the die fair?

Each roll uses cryptographic randomness, with an equal chance of each number from one to six. Rolls are independent, so a long wait for a six can happen; the game does not force a six after a run of other numbers.

Can we take a break during an online game?

Yes. Pause keeps the turn, die and pieces in place. Every online player must confirm “I’m ready” before play resumes. Rooms expire 24 hours after creation.

What happens if someone disconnects?

During active online play, players have a 60-second window to reconnect, with a countdown shown to the others. In a two-player game, leaving or failing to return in time means forfeiting the match. Deliberately pausing suspends the disconnect countdown.

Anonymous usage

We count visits, game modes, game outcomes, radio plays, listening time and Spotify link clicks to understand how the yard is used. These analytics do not include player names, wall names, room codes or IP addresses. A temporary random identifier in your browser tab helps avoid counting the same session twice; it is not an account or a way to identify you.

We keep daily counts and hashed event identifiers for 35 days. Browser tracking respects Do Not Track. Online room activity is counted by the game server.

Find your seat in the yard