On the Game of Moksha-Patam

TL;DR

This paper classifies and analyzes various configurations of Moksha-Patam boards, exploring how changing chute and ladder positions affects the game, and provides a systematic count of possible board types.

Contribution

It introduces a naming convention for Moksha-Patam boards and establishes a count of all possible configurations under certain assumptions.

Findings

Classified different types of Moksha-Patam boards.

Developed a naming convention for board configurations.

Counted the total possible board arrangements.

Abstract

The game of Moksha-Patam, often known as `Chutes and Ladders', is a widely played indoor game worldwide. While studies have been conducted regarding the nature of an individual board, the possibilities that open up when we change the positions of the chutes and the ladders on a board are mostly unventured. In this article, we classify and study the different possible types of Moksha-Patam Boards, introduce a naming convention for them and establish a count for the boards that can be constructed adhering to some basic assumptions of the game.