When you think of the things that differentiate the best games from the good ones—simple rules, balanced challenges, and easy collaboration—Ludo seems to check all the boxes. That’s quite the reason why the popularity of this traditional board game has also seeped into the digital domain as Ludo apps. Yet, there is a noticeable lack of innovation amongst most Ludo providers, whether they operate traditionally or digitally.
Lack of innovation within gameplay can perpetuate boredom amongst those who’ve been playing Ludo for quite a while. If you seem to have reached that saturation point, we have some ideas that can help you level up the challenge and fun in Ludo when you play games next time!
1. Bend the rules:
How many times have you come across two tower defense games that had the exact same rules? Probably never. While the core idea of the game remains undisturbed, all online strategy games have their own rules that differentiate them from their competitors. The same can be applied to Ludo, whether it’s played with a physical board or through an online interface. While Ludo apps already offer rule customizations, the options are quite limited. Conversely, when playing in person, players can create more rules on mutual agreement that challenge the conventions. Some ideas include,
- Waiving the need to get a six or one to get a token out.
- Eliminating the safe cells.
- Not allowing any token to kill the other.
2. Associate rewards in real life:
Whether played online or in person, the sense of accomplishment after winning a game can be amplified if there’s a worldly reward attached. These rewards could be anything from meals to money, depending on what the majority of the players agree to and what ethics allow. Several online Ludo providers have already taken the lead on this by introducing their Ludo apps as real money games.
3. Play in teams:
Similar to card games and other multiplayer games, the idea of forming teams can be introduced to Ludo. Playing in teams makes space for more challenge and fun, as the outcome of the game is not dependent on just one person’s logic or decision-making.
4. Add a time limit:
The time limit can be added to alter the criteria for winning or earning points. For instance, some competitive Ludo apps have already instilled this as a game mode where the player with maximum points within a set time can earn big cash rewards even if they don’t reach home. Alternatively, each player may be challenged to win certain points within a time frame and be rewarded with bonus points if they pass the challenge.
5. Get creative with the board:
Elements of other multiplayer games can be infused into the Ludo board. For instance, inspiration can be drawn from Monopoly, where special cells can offer challenges to the player whose tokens land on the cell, or players can get ownership of some cells. Similarly, other alterations that other games may not necessarily inspire can be infused into the board. A consideration, however, is that the alteration of the board structure and visualization of new elements can be done more easily if players have access to a physical Ludo board than an online version.
The Bottom Line
Imagination is key to evolving the challenge and fun in Ludo. Nonetheless, it’s important to ensure that other players easily understand any alteration you introduce to the game and is not biased toward just one player. The board is your oyster!