The best Pachisi / Ludo board games and variants⎇ 2025

This is an expansion for a classic board game. It adds new possibilities, allowing players to play cards instead of rolling dice. The cards can dramatically alter the gameplay.

Stramash is a chase game where players must move their pieces to safety in their castle while trying to impede their opponents. Landing on an opponent's piece sends them back to their starting point, but they will try to do the same to you. Choose wisely from one of six cards in your hand to determine your best move, whether it's to seek safety or to take revenge.

DOG shares similarities with the "Mensch Ärgere Dich nicht" game family but introduces notable twists. Players move their game pieces from home to the target area based on card values, aiming to be the first team to place all eight pieces in the target area.

This is an expansion for a classic game also known as "Pachisi." It adds new possibilities, allowing players to draw cards instead of rolling dice. The cards can dramatically change the gameplay.

Players engage in an innovative blend of board and card game. The relatively simple rules present a challenge for everyone. The aim is to be the first to bring their pieces to the goal, requiring strategic thinking and teamwork while navigating opponents' plans. Heavenly beings, like a powerful warrior or a saving angel, influence the game and must be used wisely. Each playthrough offers a unique experience, ensuring long-lasting fun.

This is a modern version of classic games like Parcheesi or Sorry. Players aim to move their pawns from their starting position to a safe zone around the board. Instead of rolling dice, players shake small containers filled with balls, trying to select the one with the highest number that does not exceed the results of two rolled dice.

Players use 52 cards that can be played in a Parchis-style game. Instead of rolling dice, a player can draw a card or play one after their turn. The cards feature special powers and effects, and there is a hand limit of five.

Players move their pieces from home to the target area as quickly as possible, using cards to determine movement along the board. The first player or team to get all their pieces into the target area wins. Unique to Dog Royal are special cards that allow various moves and abilities, and each piece, marked with a symbol like King or Knight, has its own unique power.

Players aim to replicate the frustration of the classic board game by using cards instead of dice. To set up, number cards (1-40) are laid out in rows, and each player receives two dice cards. On their turn, players play a dice card to either start a new row or add to an existing one. They can steal cards from opponents and must keep track of their points on paper, with the game ending when a player reaches a set point total based on the number of players.

It's time for a race on the chessboard! Chess Race is a variation of a classic board game featuring three pawns for each color and a set of cards with chess symbols. Players draw two cards and use one to move a pawn on the track, with identical cards being able to act as a queen and obstacles that can be moved to block opponents.

A memory and strategy game, it is also published by F.X. Schmid under the title "Dance of the Witches." Like the enchanted forest from Sagaland, which players will remember, it is more of a family game than just a children's game.

Players play cards to move their pieces around the board and return home. In Black DOG, they must be cautious of the black dog markers that can traverse over their pieces, posing a threat before they reach safety.

A very old children's game has several variations and editions. Players roll dice to move their "caps" on the board. Landing on another cap or a stack allows a player to conquer that stack by placing their cap on it. The goal is to return conquered caps to the home base. The game ends when only one color remains active. In one version, the winner is the player who has conquered the most caps. In another version, the player with remaining active caps wins. This game was first published in 1927 and inspired many imitations.

Players each have four pieces that they need to move from their starting position to their target space. They roll a unique die featuring six different symbols, moving to the next space that matches the symbol rolled. If they roll the Yakari symbol, they can return a piece to their starting area and take another turn. The first player to move all of their pieces to the target space wins.

Players move their pawns along a zigzag path to reach a gate, pushing opponents back when landing on their space. The objective is to be the first to get all four pawns to the gate by strategically rolling two dice and deciding how to move each pawn. Players can jump over walls for shortcuts and send opponents back to their starting area with certain moves.

"Players compete to move their pieces from start to finish based on dice rolls. Unlike similar games, they roll only one die and must move a piece onto the board when rolling a six, which occurs less frequently than in other games. The game features additional rules that limit safe spaces and blockades, creating a more challenging experience for players."

Pachisi, often regarded as the national game of India, is a classic board game dating back to 4 AD. Its enduring popularity is due to its simple yet engaging mechanics. The game involves moving pawns around the board to reach the "home" section, with movement dictated by dice rolls. Parcheesi is a well-known westernized version of this game.

This game is a variant of Pachisi for six players. Instead of rolling dice for movement, players use four out of five cards to determine how far they can move their pieces. Players take turns playing cards; certain cards have special abilities, such as introducing new pieces or moving backward. If more than two players are involved, they form teams, competing as devils against angels, focusing on moving their pieces to safety while managing their partner's pieces.

Players develop strategies to escape from the "cells" in the center of the board to reach the "escape vehicle." They must hide in trenches and slide through ventilation shafts, but rolling two sixes triggers an alarm, forcing everyone back to their cells. The winner is the first player to move all their pieces "out of prison," with part of the proceeds supporting crime victims in Germany.

This is a children's version of a classic board game. Players roll a die with six different symbols and move one of their pieces to the next position on the board that shows the same symbol. The game board represents a tree that changes appearance with the four seasons.

Trouble is a classic board game that incorporates the Pop-O-Matic dice roller, offering a simplified take on the traditional Pachisi. Players each have a set of pawns in their color and take turns rolling the die to move their pawns around the board. The objective is straightforward: be the first to navigate all of your pawns to the finish lane.

Uckers is a traditional game of the Royal Navy, played on almost all ships, submarines, and naval bases today. Players team up in pairs from opposite corners of the board, aiming to get all their pieces home before the opposing pair. Unlike similar games, all pieces can be played at once and stacked, blocking the opponent's movement.