Ludo looks simple, and it is, but a few small rules decide almost every game. Here is the version I teach friends who have never played.
Each player picks a colour and gets four tokens, which start in the home base in their corner. Two to four people can play. Everyone rolls one die in turn, and the order of play goes clockwise around the table.
A token cannot leave the base until you roll a 6. This is the rule that surprises new players most, because it can leave you waiting several turns with nothing to move. When a 6 does come up, you place a token on your starting square and you also get to roll again.
Once a token is on the track it moves clockwise by the number you roll. If it lands exactly on a square holding an opponent's single token, that token is sent back to its base and its owner needs a fresh 6 to restart. Squares marked with a star are safe, so nobody can be captured there.
After a full lap, a token turns into your coloured home column. To finish, it must reach the centre by exact count. If you roll too high, the token stays where it is and you wait for a smaller number. The first player to bring all four tokens home wins.
Families play slightly different versions. Before you start, agree on whether three sixes in a row cancels your turn, whether stacked tokens form a blockade, and whether you must capture when you can. Settling these first prevents most arguments.