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Chutes & Ladders Instructions

Chutes and Ladders is a classic up-and-down board game where players race to make it to the final square. According to Fredrick Augustyn in his book, "Dictionary of Toys and Games in American Popular Culture," Chutes and Ladders originated over 2,000 years ago in India as the game Moksha Patamu, where the ups and downs were symbolic of the paths and choices of morality. Taken back to Britain during the Imperial period of the 1800s, it quickly became a classic children's game and has seen numerous iterations on both sides of the pond.

Child's Play
- Arguably one of the most appealing points in the game is its simplicity. Unlike other board games, Chutes and Ladders doesn't allow players to do anything to harm other players, and in fact doesn't allow players to affect other players in any way. The entire game is predicated on the doctrine of randomness. In this way it is accessible for everyone. However, some older players may not be interested in Chutes and Ladders for its lack of skill building.
Beginning the Game
- Remove any pieces from their initial packaging. Each player gets a representative game piece that should be placed just off the side from square one. Once each player has a game piece, place the spinner in its spot on the game board. Each player should give the spinner a spin. The player with highest spin gets to go first, with play proceeding clockwise.
Taking Turns
- On his turn, a player once again spins the spinner, and must then move forward that many spaces on the game board. The player may not stop short of his full move, and may occupy the same square as another player. When a player's piece lands on a square with a ladder going up, the player will then move her piece to the square that the ladder connects to. Should a player land on a square with the top of a chute, the player must then move his piece to the square at the bottom of that chute. There is no limit to the number of times that a player may have to travel up or down any given ladder or chute. Once a player arrives at the final square at the game board she has won the game.

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