Yet another British export to the United States is the Snakes and Ladders game although its name was changed to Chutes and Ladders. Milton Bradley, its manufacturer, touted the latter as the improved version of the popular indoor sport with the basic game play. Indeed, it is popular among kids since the outcome of the game constantly varies but adults may quickly be bored with it mainly because there are no skills involved.
Then again, if the game serves as the tool which helps parents spend quality time with their kids then adults will love this game too. After all, a game is fun when every participant is actively involved.
Board Composition
The Snakes and Ladders game is designed for 2 or more players with the playing board characterized by numbered grid squares as well as snakes and ladders connecting two squares together. The playing time is affected by the arrangements of these snakes and ladders on the board as well as the size of the board itself. Board sizes can range from portable to the mid-sized 8×8 and 10×10 to the large 12×12 boards.
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Other parts of the game include the playing pieces and the dice. Since the playing pieces can be substituted with any handy piece like colored stones and the dice can be replaced with a store-bought one, Snakes and Ladders is a favorite game with parents – no additional costs to replace these parts just as long as the board is still present.
Board Rules
The Snakes and Ladders game rules are simple as well. Each player positions his token on the starting square, rolls the dice and moves the token according to the number of squares indicated by the dice roll. The route is fixed in an ox-plough track such that each square will be passed through by the track. Here is where the snakes and ladders components kick in that differentiates the game from other board games with a similar nature.
- If the player lands on a lower-numbered square with a ladder, the token can be moved up into the higher-numbered square in which the other end of the ladder is positioned.
- If the player lands on a higher-numbered square with a snake, the token must be moved to the lower-numbered square on which the other end of the snake is located.
- If a player rolls a 6 on the die, he is allowed to take another turn but if he fails to do so, then the turn passes to another player.
- If a player has three successive rolls of 6 on the die, the token must be returned to the beginning of the board and the player must wait his turn until such time that he can roll a 6 again.
Of course, the winner of the Snakes and Ladders game is the player whose game token first reaches the last square on the board. Since the token can go back up and down in the track, the challenge lies in getting the right roll of the dice especially during the last few squares when the exact number until the finish line must be rolled.
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Despite its simplicity, the Snakes and Ladders game does have its fair share of moral values. Basically, kids are taught that for every evil, there is a good – a lesson well worth sharing indeed.