Who invented the board game Snakes and Ladders?

The board game, today called Snakes and Ladders, originated in ancient India, where it was known with the name Mokshapat or Moksha Patamu. It’s not exactly known when or who invented it, though it’s believed the game was played at a time as early as 2nd century BC. According to some historians, the game was invented by Saint Gyandev in the 13th century AD. Originally, the game was used as a part of moral instruction to children. The squares in which ladders start were each supposed to stand for a virtue, and those housing the head of a snake were supposed to stand for an evil. The snakes outnumbered the ladders in the original Hindu game. The game was transported to England by the colonial rulers in the latter part of the 19th century, with some modifications. The modified game was named Snakes and Ladders and stripped of its moral and religious aspects and the number of ladders and snakes were equalized. In 1943, the game was introduced in the US under the name Chutes and Ladders.

A Sanskrit name for Snakes and Ladders – ‘Parama Pada Sopana Patam’- means the chart showing the ladder that leads to the ultimate state. Such block-printed charts on rough paper were sold at markets leading to the main doors of the temples of south India. An important aspect of the game is that when you get to the higher stage of spiritual attainment, only certain falls of the dice will entitle you to move to the next house, illustrating the difficulty of spiritual practice needed for attaining moksha, the ultimate release.