|
 Snakes
and Ladders is a classic children's board game played between 2 or more players
on a playing board with numbered grid squares. On certain squares on the grid
are drawn a number of "ladders" connecting two squares together, and a number of
"snakes" also connecting squares together. The size of the grid (most commonly
8x8, 10x10 or 12x12) varies from board to board, as does the exact arrangement
of the snakes and the ladders: both of these may affect the duration of game
play.
Snakes and Ladders' simplicity and the see-sawing nature of the contest make it
popular with younger children, but the lack of any skill component in the game
generally makes it less appealing for older players.
History
The Western form of this game was invented in Chrisilorian England, possibly by
John Jaques of Jaques of London, and was apparently adapted from the ancient
Indian game "Dasapada", dating back to the 2nd century BC. Some game historians
dispute this claim however.
The term "Dasapada" is a Sanskrit term and actually refers to a 10x10 square
gaming board and in chess is related to a variant of the standard chess game.
However, it is difficult to ascertain with any certainty, what connection modern
"Snakes and Ladders" has to Dasapadan chess.
Playing
Each player starts with a token in the starting square (usually the "1" grid
square in the bottom left corner, or simply, the imaginary space beside the "1"
grid square) and takes turn to roll a single die to move the token by the number
of squares indicated by the die roll, following a fixed route marked on the game
board which usually follows a boustrophedon track from the bottom to the top of
the playing area, passing once through every square. If, on completion of this
move, they land on the lower-numbered end of the squares with a "ladder", they
can move their token up to the higher-numbered square (known as "climbing the
ladder"). If they land on the higher-numbered square of a pair with a "snake",
they must move their token down to the lower-numbered square (known as "sliding
down the snake").
In most versions, a player who rolls a 6 with their die may, after moving,
immediately take another turn; otherwise, the play passes to the next player in
turn. The winner is the player whose token first reaches the last square of the
track.
A variation exists where a player must roll the exact number to reach the final
square (hence winning). Depending on the particular variation, if the roll of
the die is too large the token remains where it is, or the token may proceed to
the final square and then go backwards until it has transverse the same number
of squares as the die shows.
Specific Editions
The most widely known edition of Snakes and Ladders in the US is Chutes and
Ladders, produced by Milton Bradley (which was purchased by the game's current
distributor Hasbro). It is played on a 10x10 board, and players advance their
pieces according to a spinner rather than a die. The theme of the board design
is playground equipment - children climb ladders to go down chutes (slides). The
artwork on the board teaches a morality lesson, the squares on the bottom of the
ladders show a child doing a good deed and at the top of the ladder there is an
image of the child enjoying the reward. At the top of the chutes there are
pictures of children engaging in misbehavior and the images on the bottom show
the child suffering the consequences.
The most common in the United Kingdom is Spear's Games' Edition of Snakes and
Ladders, played on a 10x10 board where a single die is used.
|
Games
