# Rules Of Snakes and Ladders
PlayPalace team, 2026.

## TL;DR
Snakes and Ladders is a classic board game of pure luck. Players take turns rolling a single die and racing along a 100-square board. Land on the bottom of a ladder and you climb up. Land on the head of a snake and you slide down. The first player to reach exactly square 100 wins. If your roll would take you past 100, you bounce back by the amount you overshot.

## Gameplay
The game is played on a board with 100 squares, numbered 1 through 100. All players start on square 1. The game supports 2 to 4 players.

On your turn, you roll a single six-sided die. Your token moves forward by the number rolled. After moving, one of four things can happen:

1. **Nothing special.** You stay on the square you landed on, and your turn ends.
2. **Ladder.** If you land on the bottom of a ladder, you immediately climb to the top. The game announces where you started and where you ended up.
3. **Snake.** If you land on the head of a snake, you immediately slide down to its tail. Again, the game tells you exactly where you ended up.
4. **Bounce back.** If your roll would take you past square 100, you hit the end of the board and bounce back. For example, if you are on square 98 and roll a 5, you would move to 103, but since that is past 100, you bounce back to square 97 (100 minus the 3 overshoot). This means you must land on 100 exactly to win.

A ladder can also take you directly to square 100, which counts as a win.

Play continues round by round until one player reaches square 100. That player wins immediately.

### Board Layout
The board has 9 ladders and 10 snakes at fixed positions:

**Ladders (bottom to top):**
* 1 to 38
* 4 to 14
* 9 to 31
* 21 to 42
* 28 to 84
* 36 to 44
* 51 to 67
* 71 to 91
* 80 to 100

**Snakes (head to tail):**
* 16 to 6
* 47 to 26
* 49 to 11
* 56 to 53
* 62 to 19
* 64 to 60
* 87 to 24
* 93 to 73
* 95 to 75
* 98 to 78

### Customizable Options
There are no customizable options for Snakes and Ladders. The board layout, die, and rules are fixed to the standard game. The host can choose between 2 and 4 players.

## Keyboard Shortcuts
Shortcuts specific to Snakes and Ladders:

* R or Space: Roll the die.
* C: Check all player positions.
* T: Check whose turn it is.
* S: Check scores.
* Shift+S: View detailed scores.

## Game Theory / Tips
* Snakes and Ladders is a game of pure chance. There are no decisions to make on your turn -- you simply roll and move. Strategy does not apply in the traditional sense.
* That said, knowing the board layout can help you follow the game. The most dramatic ladder is from square 28 to 84, a jump of 56 squares. The most devastating snake is from 87 to 24, a drop of 63 squares.
* The ladder on square 1 (going to 38) means that on the very first roll, a roll of 1 is actually one of the best outcomes -- you skip more than a third of the board.
* The endgame around squares 87 through 98 is treacherous. There are snakes on 87, 93, 95, and 98. Getting close to 100 does not guarantee a quick finish.
* The bounce-back rule at 100 adds tension in the final stretch. You need an exact roll to win, so being on square 99 (needing a 1) is actually the best position, while being on square 95 is a snake that sends you to 75.
* Since there is no strategy, Snakes and Ladders is a great game for relaxing, socializing, and enjoying the ride. Focus on the drama of each roll rather than trying to optimize.