Free online Ludo: I played Ludo Cats and a yellow kitten humbled me
Four kittens, one die and cozy beds instead of home bases. Polarzinho played Ludo against the CPU and came back with a lesson in humility.
By Polarzinho ·
Free online Ludo, right in your browser with nothing to install: that's Ludo Cats. It's classic Ludo, four colours with four tokens each, except the tokens are kittens and the home bases are cozy cat beds. I played Classic against three CPU kittens, tried Quick mode, built my own rules in Custom and went through the options.
Usual disclaimer: Ludo Cats is a house game and I'm the Polar Games mascot, so I have a front-row seat. But this is a player's report, and the scoreboard doesn't lie: I lost. I played with the game in Portuguese, so the button names below are translated.
Ludo Cats on one screen
The opening asks for a tap to start and shows the board in a cat garden, with a ball of yarn, a fish and a cat napping on a cushion. Then comes the tagline, the cutest board game around, and a Play now button.
PolarzinhoThe cutest board game around. Agreed, and I'm a panda, so I judge cuteness professionally.
Next you pick a mode. The first time, the game asks whether you already know Ludo. You can go straight in or ask for a guided one-minute game.
PolarzinhoEvery mode has a kitten hugging a die. I'd have chosen by kitten, but apparently that's not how it works.
How this online Ludo game works
The rules are the Ludo you know. Each player has four kittens in a bed. A six brings a kitten out, the die says how far it moves, landing on a rival sends it back to bed, and the first to get everyone to the centre wins.
Before you start, the player screen lets you pick 2 to 4 participants. Tap each kitten to switch between person, CPU or out, which is how you play with friends taking turns on one device.
PolarzinhoTap the kitten to switch. I tapped it several times just to watch it change. Don't judge me.
If Ludo rules are still fuzzy, the full guide here on the blog explains each one, including what changes in Parchís.
Classic against three CPU kittens
I took red, against green, yellow and blue on Normal. On your turn the panel tells you to tap the die or press Space. When more than one kitten can move, yours start hopping and the game asks you to pick a hopping kitten.
PolarzinhoA six! The game cheers along with you. Exactly the support I needed. Shame it didn't last.
The game talks to you all the time. Roll a six and you get a six banner and a roll-again banner, because a six earns another roll. Roll a number that doesn't help and you see it marked as no move, with the panel saying no kitten can move. On the CPU's turn it says it's thinking, and you can tap to speed it up.
PolarzinhoA one. I rolled a one. In a game where everyone zooms six squares, I crawled one. Pandas are patient. Pandas are patient.
The result arrived in big letters: yellow wins. The yellow kitten brought all four home, green and blue got one each, and I finished with zero. In another game I had three kittens home, neck and neck with blue, so at least I know it can be done.
PolarzinhoZero out of four. My kittens stayed in bed, comfy, watching yellow celebrate. At least they were warm.
Quick mode: just one cat
Quick mode is the short version: capture a rival and get one cat to the centre to win. The counter runs from 0/1 to 1/1. It's a game that fits in a coffee break.
I lost that too. Blue got there first, the screen showed the home banner and then blue wins. In Quick mode, one slip decides the game.
PolarzinhoJust one cat and I couldn't do it. In my defence, blue was in a hurry. In blue's defence, the mode is called Quick.
Custom: house rules become buttons
Custom is where Ludo Cats shines. On the first screen you set how many cats each player has, how many must arrive to win, how many start on the track, whether leaving the base takes a 6, a 1 or 6, or any roll, and how blocks work: no protection, protection only, or a full block.
PolarzinhoLeave the base on any roll. That's Ludo on holiday mode. I switched it on and felt like royalty.
The second screen, match details, has the switches that end family arguments: extra roll on a six, three-sixes penalty, extra roll on capture, mandatory capture, safe squares, exact roll to the centre and even a party mode with yarn balls and fish.
PolarzinhoThree-sixes penalty. Now I can prove to my cousin that rule exists. It's written down, cousin. On a button.
Teams: two against two
Teams mode pairs red and yellow against green and blue, and a team needs 8 cats in the centre to win. Each colour can be a person or the CPU, so you can team up with a friend against the CPU or play two against two on one device.
PolarzinhoRed and yellow on the same team. After what yellow did to me in Classic, this partnership will need counselling.
Options, accessories and Mia's tutorial
Options let you change the language, the game pace (1× or 2×), the CPU difficulty (Easy, Normal or Hard) and switch on colour symbols, a different shape for each colour, for colour-blind players. That's also where your kittens' accessories live, unlocking at 1, 3 and 5 wins.
PolarzinhoAccessories at 1, 3 and 5 wins. I have zero wins. My kittens are still bare. Elegant, but bare.
The tutorial stars Mia, a kitten who sums it all up in one bubble: every player has four kittens in bed, and whoever brings them all to the centre wins. You can skip it any time.
PolarzinhoHi, I'm Mia. She's polite, explains fast and doesn't laugh when you lose. Best teacher.
FAQ
Is Ludo Cats free?
Yes. Ludo Cats is free to play in your browser, on a computer or a phone, with nothing to install.
Can I play Ludo Cats with friends?
Yes, taking turns on the same device. Two to four participants, and each colour can be a person or the CPU.
What modes does Ludo Cats have?
Classic, Quick, Teams and Custom, plus a guided tutorial.
Can I change the rules?
Yes. In Custom you choose how kittens leave the base, how blocks work, safe squares, the extra roll on a six and more.
Is there an option for colour-blind players?
Yes. In Options, colour symbols put a different shape on each kitten colour.
Ludo Cats pros and cons
Ready to roll?
Ludo Cats is Ludo for family time on the sofa, passing the phone around, or solo against the CPU on a break. House rules become buttons, the kittens party and Mia teaches newcomers. I'm going back to bed, rolling a six and trying again.