snakes and ladders
Climb or slide
Snakes and ladders is a board game where players advance tokens along numbered squares, climbing ladders that skip ahead and sliding down snakes that send you back.
The game is pure chance—dice determine movement, and no skill influences the outcome.
The phrase sometimes describes situations with unpredictable ups and downs: The job search has been snakes and ladders.
Called chutes and ladders in North America.
- back to square oneReturn to the beginning
- starting overBeginning again from scratch
- board gameMarked-surface group entertainment
- board gamesStructured tabletop play
- chutesInclined passage for conveying
slide down · ancient India · game · dice · roll the dice · parchisi · squares · karma · spinner · consequences · chance · luck · moral lessons · ascent · players · Hasbro · children's game · game night
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chance vs. skill in games
snakes and ladderschess
Strategic board game
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