Ludo King has smashed all mobile gaming records in India since the lockdown began

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Ludo Anyone? These are the common Instagram story/ WhatsApp status you must be noticing these days. Or 1st in Ludo Screenshot! Ludo King’s sensational rise as casual board games come back during the lockdown. Imagine the days when you were kids and bought this board game and enjoyed it during summer/winter break with cousins.

During the lockdown, all friends/family are now on that smartphone playing the same game and cherishing the old days. Ludo King adds a modern touch to the royal game of Pachisi, which used to be played between Indian kings and queens in ancient times. App downloads have surged past 300 million cumulatively, and users have tripled since the lockdown began.

Ludo King, developed by Navi Mumbai-based Gametion Technologies, has ranked as India’s #1 gaming app on both Android and iOS. Gametion has other playing apps as well, like udoku King, Carrom King, and Color King too. But Ludo King is the best casual game and has crossed 100M+ downloads. Sensor Tower projects that Ludo King raked in revenue of $300,000 in March alone riding on the coronavirus lockdown, which forced people to stay indoors.

Ludo King has surpassed top gaming titles like Candy Crush Saga, PUBG, Clash of Clans, Subway Surfers, Temple Run, and others in monthly active users in India. By Gametion’s admission, this is the “golden age of internet-driven sociable board games”. These carry nostalgia and also help strengthen family bonding.

Most user say that the game is simple, does not take too much od mind space, it’s fun when you win, feels like a victory. “We naturally seek a social setting for leisure and refreshment. The new breed of mobile board games connects people online. Even the unsociable gets an opportunity to connect with strangers and share a time that helps them disconnect from their self-contained lives to an entertaining gaming interaction,” wrote Gametion in a blog.

There are four player modes — online multiplayer, play with friends, play versus computer, local multiplayer. There is a six-player Ludo board too. The app also comes with ‘Snakes and Ladders’ on seven different game board variations.

Gametion says, “Board games definitely have many more reasons for a comeback online as different aspects of the games appeal to different people. All generations see board games as equally important as traditional video games if not more.”