Ludo 3DWhat is Ludo called around the world?
The same race-your-four-pieces-home game is played almost everywhere, under a different name in nearly every country.
In short: Ludo is called Mensch ärgere Dich nicht in Germany, Parchís in Spain and Latin America, Parqués in Colombia, Kızma Birader in Turkey, Jeu des petits chevaux in France, Chińczyk in Poland, Mens erger je niet in the Netherlands, Parcheesi in the US and Pachisi in its Indian original. Many names mean “Don't get angry”.
| Country / region | Language | Local name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| England / United Kingdom | English | Ludo | Latin for “I play” |
| India, Pakistan, Bangladesh | Hindi / Urdu / English | Ludo · लूडो | Same game; the traditional ancestor is Pachisi |
| India (traditional) | Hindi | Pachisi · पचीसी (Pachīsī) | “Twenty-five”, the ancestor of the whole family |
| United States | English | Parcheesi | American trade name of Pachisi; Sorry! and Trouble are close cousins |
| Turkey | Turkish | Kızma Birader | “Don't get angry, brother” |
| Germany, Austria | German | Mensch ärgere Dich nicht | “Man, don't get angry” |
| Switzerland | German | Eile mit Weile | “Haste with care” |
| Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Latin America | Spanish | Parchís | From Pachisi |
| Colombia | Spanish | Parqués | Colombian variant of Parchís |
| Brazil, Portugal | Portuguese | Ludo | Same name as in English |
| France, Belgium (French) | French | Jeu des petits chevaux | “Game of the little horses” |
| Italy | Italian | Non t'arrabbiare | “Don't get angry” |
| Netherlands, Belgium (Flemish) | Dutch | Mens erger je niet | “Man, don't get angry” |
| Poland | Polish | Chińczyk · Człowieku, nie irytuj się | “The Chinese game” · “Man, don't get annoyed” |
| Czech Republic | Czech | Člověče, nezlob se | “Man, don't get angry” |
| Slovakia | Slovak | Človeče, nehnevaj sa | “Man, don't get angry” |
| Slovenia | Slovene | Človek, ne jezi se | “Man, don't get angry” |
| Croatia, Bosnia | Croatian / Bosnian | Čovječe, ne ljuti se | “Man, don't get angry” |
| Serbia | Serbian | Човече, не љути се (Čoveče, ne ljuti se) | “Man, don't get angry” |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian | Не се сърди, човече (Ne se sardi, choveche) | “Don't get angry, man” |
| Romania, Moldova | Romanian | Nu te supăra, frate | “Don't get upset, brother” |
| Hungary | Hungarian | Ki nevet a végén? | “Who laughs last?” |
| Albania | Albanian | Mos u zemëro, njeri! | “Don't get angry, man!” |
| Greece | Greek | Γκρινιάρης (Griniáris) | “The grumbler” |
| Sweden | Swedish | Fia med knuff | “Fia with pushing” |
| Denmark, Norway | Danish / Norwegian | Ludo | Same name as in English |
| Finland | Finnish | Kimble | Finnish version of Trouble with a dice bubble |
| Latvia | Latvian | Riču-Raču | Playful name of the same game |
| Arab countries | Arabic | لودو (Lūdū) | Same name as in English |
| Iran | Persian | منچ (Mench) | From German “Mensch” |
| Vietnam | Vietnamese | Cờ cá ngựa | “Horse-racing chess” |
| China | Chinese | 飞行棋 (Fēixíngqí) | “Aeroplane chess”, a close variant |
| Royal Navy (UK) | English | Uckers | Sailors' tactical version of Ludo |
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Why does Ludo have so many names?
All of these games descend from Pachisi, played in India for centuries. In the late 1800s simplified versions were patented and sold in England (Ludo, 1896) and the US (Parcheesi).
In 1914 the German publisher Josef Friedrich Schmidt released Mensch ärgere Dich nicht (“Man, don't get angry”). It spread across Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey, and many countries simply translated its name: Mens erger je niet, Člověče, nezlob se, Nu te supăra, frate, Kızma Birader.
Spanish-speaking countries kept the Indian root (Parchís, Parqués), France named it after its pieces (petits chevaux, little horses), and Poland called it Chińczyk, “the Chinese game”.
Are they the same game?
Almost. The core is identical: one die, four pieces per player, a 6 to start, capture by landing on a rival, and an exact roll to get home. The differences are house rules, such as safe squares, blocks made of two pieces, or two dice in Parchís. Ludo 3D uses the standard Ludo rules.
Play in your language
Mensch ärgere Dich nicht (Deutsch) · Parchís (Español) · Chińczyk (Polski) · Jeu des petits chevaux (Français) · Non t'arrabbiare (Italiano) · Mens erger je niet (Nederlands) · Člověče, nezlob se (Čeština) · Nu te supăra, frate (Română) · Fia med knuff (Svenska) · Ki nevet a végén? (Magyar) · Ludo (Português) · لودو (العربية)
Frequently asked questions
What is Ludo called in Germany?
Mensch ärgere Dich nicht, meaning “Man, don't get angry”. It was published by Josef Friedrich Schmidt in 1914.
What is Ludo called in Spanish?
Parchís in Spain and most of Latin America; Parqués in Colombia.
What is Ludo called in Turkish?
Kızma Birader, meaning “Don't get angry, brother”.
What is Ludo called in French?
Jeu des petits chevaux, “the game of the little horses”.
Is Parcheesi the same as Ludo?
They are siblings. Both come from the Indian game Pachisi; Parcheesi is the American version, Ludo the English one.
Where can I play Ludo online for free?
Ludo 3D at ludoking.org is free in the browser, with no sign-up and no ads. You can invite friends with a room link or play against bots.