If you’ve ever hosted a small game night or wanted to kill time on a road trip with friends, you’ve probably considered pulling up Ludo King for a casual match. Learning how to play 4 players in Ludo King opens up way more fun group opportunities than the standard 2-player mode, whether you’re all in the same room or spread across different cities. I’ve tested both local and online 4-player setups dozens of times with my friend group, so I’m breaking down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how to skip the annoying setup glitches that usually ruin pre-game excitement. You don’t need any special paid features to access 4-player mode, either—all the steps below work with the free version of the game on both iOS and Android.
How to Play 4 Players in Ludo King Offline (Local Mode)
Offline local mode is my go-to for game nights with roommates or family gatherings, since you don’t have to worry about Wi-Fi drops ruining the match. This mode uses a single device that everyone passes around during their turn, so you don’t need multiple phones to play. First, open the Ludo King app on your primary device, and tap the “Play With Friends” option on the home screen. Select “Local Mode” from the next menu, then choose the 4-player option from the player count dropdown. You’ll be prompted to enter a name for each of the four players, or you can use the default auto-generated names if you’re in a hurry.
Make sure you select the correct token color for each player before starting the game, since you can’t change this once the match begins. You’ll also want to turn on the “Sound Notifications” option in settings, so everyone hears when it’s their turn to play, especially if people are chatting while waiting. I’ve had multiple matches stall out because someone missed their turn alert and we all forgot who was next. There are a few small drawbacks to local mode, of course. If the host device dies mid-match, you’ll lose all progress, so I recommend keeping a charger nearby if you’re playing a long game. Also, people who tend to take forever to make moves might get teased more when everyone is sitting right next to them, but that’s half the fun of local play.
Setting Up Online 4-Player Ludo King Matches With Remote Friends
If your group is spread across different cities or countries, online 4-player mode works just as well, with only a few extra steps to set up. First, the host needs to open the app and tap “Play With Friends” just like you would for local mode, but select “Create Room” instead of local mode. Choose 4 as the player count, then adjust any custom rules you want, like turning on or off the “safe six” rule, or setting a turn timer to keep the game moving fast. The host will get a unique 6-digit room code to share with the other three players, so make sure you send it via text or your group chat before you exit the setup screen.
All other players just need to tap “Join Room” on their home screen, enter the 6-digit code, and select their token color to join the match. Wait times for all players to join are usually under a minute, but I recommend setting a 5-minute limit before starting, so you don’t end up waiting around for someone who forgot they agreed to play. One thing to note here: all players need a stable internet connection to avoid being kicked mid-match. If someone’s connection drops, the game will pause for 60 seconds to let them rejoin, otherwise they’ll be marked as AFK and the game will continue without them. You can turn on the “AFK Kick” option in custom rules if you don’t want to wait for disconnected players, which is a big help for keeping matches on schedule.
Custom 4-Player Rule Adjustments to Make Matches More Fun
One of the best parts of 4-player Ludo King is that you don’t have to stick to the default rules if you want to mix up the gameplay. Most custom rule adjustments are available for both online and local 4-player modes, so you can tweak them to fit your group’s playstyle. If you’re playing with new players who haven’t tried Ludo King before, I recommend sticking to the default rules for the first match, then adding adjustments one by one for future games. That way, no one feels overwhelmed by new rules right off the bat.
Some of my favorite rule changes to use for group matches include:
- Turning on the “Double Six” bonus rule, which gives players an extra turn every time they roll two sixes in a row, plus the ability to move two tokens at once if they want
- Setting a 15-second turn timer to stop slow players from dragging the match out for hours, which is especially useful for competitive groups
- Disabling the “Safe Spot” rule for squares marked with stars, which makes the game far more chaotic and aggressive, perfect for groups that love trash talking
I also suggest agreeing on all rule changes before you start the match, since you can’t adjust them once the first dice is rolled. I once had a friend argue for 10 minutes mid-match that we should turn off the safe spot rule after his token got sent home, so now we always vote on rules before we start playing. It saves a lot of unnecessary arguments later.
Common 4-Player Ludo King Glitches and How to Fix Them
Even with the latest app updates, you might run into a few small glitches when setting up 4-player matches, especially if you’re using older devices. Most of these issues have simple fixes that take less than a minute to try, so you don’t have to abandon your game entirely. The most common glitch I run into is the room code not working for online matches. This usually happens if the host accidentally closed the room before everyone joins, or if the code was typed wrong. If the code isn’t working, just have the host create a new room and send a fresh code—this fixes the issue 9 times out of 10.
Another common issue is players being unable to select their token color in local mode. This happens if two people try to select the same color at the same time, so just have everyone pick a color one at a time to avoid this. If the app freezes mid-match, force close it and reopen it immediately—for local matches, your progress will be saved automatically, and for online matches, you’ll be able to rejoin the room as long as you open the app within 60 seconds. One thing you never want to do is uninstall the app to fix a glitch, since you might lose all your in-game progress and custom settings if you don’t have them backed up to your Google Play or iCloud account. If you’re running into repeated glitches, check that you have the latest version of the app installed, and clear your app cache if you’re using an Android device.
At the end of the day, Ludo King’s 4-player mode is one of the best casual group gaming options out there, whether you’re playing in person or online with friends across the world. You don’t need any fancy paid subscriptions or technical skills to set up a match, and the custom rule options let you tweak the gameplay to fit exactly what your group is in the mood for. Next time you’re looking for a fun group activity, try out how to play 4 players in Ludo King—you might be surprised how competitive a simple board game match can get with the right group of people. Just remember to agree on the rules first, keep a charger nearby for local matches, and don’t get too mad if someone sends your token all the way back to the start.