A game of Ludo online with friends is a mix of software and manners. The software has a clock. The manners are up to you. Both matter, because a long game can wear down even close friends. Here is the etiquette I think works, starting with the one rule that is built in.
What does the thirty-second clock do?
Every turn on my table runs for thirty seconds. If you do not act in time, the table throws the die for you and plays an obvious move. Then the next player goes. It stops one distracted person from freezing the game, and it keeps a long evening moving.
The clock is not a pressure to hurry. Most turns take a few seconds, since a throw is one tap and many moves are forced. It is a safety net, not a stopwatch.
How much thinking time is fair?
A move with a real choice, such as capture or run, deserves ten or fifteen seconds. A forced move deserves none. If you find yourself using the full thirty seconds every time, say so to the table. A friend who knows you are thinking will wait happily; a friend who thinks you are distracted will drift away.
What should you do when you are away?
Say so in the chat or on the call: "Back in two minutes." The clock will play for you while you are gone, so your pieces keep moving, usually in the most obvious way. If you are away for long, offer to hand your colour to someone else or to stop the game.
How do you handle a bad run?
A Ludo game starts with a wait for a six, and some players wait a long time. The average is six throws, and one player in six waits ten throws or more. Do not tease the unlucky one. Instead, call out the first six they throw. A joke that includes a person is fine; one that leaves them out is not.
What about captures?
Captures are part of the game. A sporting player shouts "sorry!" with a smile. A bad loser avoids chasing the same colour every time. Agree at the start whether it is acceptable to focus on one rival. In my experience of family games, it is wise to spread captures around.
How do you treat the youngest player?
Let them play at their own speed within the clock. Offer a hint, such as "Is anyone behind you?", and let them choose. If they make a poor move, say nothing. Winning feels good only if it was the child's own doing.
What should the host do?
Explain the ludo rules once, briefly, at the start. Check that everyone can see the board. Keep the mood light. And be the first to laugh when something goes wrong for you.
How do you end well?
When the first player brings all four pieces home, congratulate them. The others can keep playing for second and third place, or stop if time is short. Agree on that before you begin.
Where can you try it?
The free table at Boardit follows these habits by design: a half-minute clock, and a table for two to four players in a browser. You can play ludo with friends on separate devices, and the ludo online etiquette above will keep an evening friendly.
A last small rule
Keep your phone's other notifications off during a game. Nothing is more annoying than a friend who loses their turn to an email. If you are playing on a laptop with the call open on the same screen, put the video in a corner and keep the board large, since the board is where the action is. And if the table goes quiet, it is usually because someone is about to make a capture; give them the moment.
Ahmed Moaz builds Boardit, a free browser game site.