Traditional Indian board games, online and on a video call
Before phones, there was a board on the floor: Paramapadham on a summer afternoon, Pallanguzhi with a grandmother, Thaayam or Ashta Chamma with cousins until someone's mother called them for dinner. Viaraa brings those games online, under the names you grew up with.
You can play them during a video call, with friends and family in a group, or against the computer when nobody's around. Everything runs in your browser, with nothing to install.
Free to join
The games, and how to play them
- Paramapadham (Snakes & Ladders)The rules, the history and the names of Snakes & Ladders, and how to play it online free.
- PallanguzhiHow to play Pallanguzhi, the South Indian pit-and-seed game, and where to play it online.
- Aadu Puli Attam (Tiger & Goats)Three tigers against fifteen goats: the rules, the history and where to play it online.
- Ludo (Pachisi)Play Ludo face to face on a video call, plus the rules and Ludo's roots in Pachisi.
- Dumb charades (Act & Guess)The classic signs, film titles to try, and how to play dumb charades on a video call.
- 12 games to play on a video callBoard games, word games and guessing games that work on any video call.
Every game, under the name you know
Each of these games has a different name in each Indian language. Viaraa shows the one that goes with yours:
| Game | Tamil | Telugu | Kannada | Malayalam | Hindi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snakes & Ladders | Paramapadham | Vaikuntapali | Haavu Eni Aata | Pambum Koniyum | Saanp Seedhi |
| Ludo | Thaayam | Ashta Chamma | Chowka Bara | Pakidakali | Pachisi |
| Mancala | Pallanguzhi | Vamana Guntalu | Ali Guli Mane | Kuzhipara | Mancala |
| Tiger & Goats | Aadu Puli Aattam | Puli Meka | Huli Kuri | Aadum Puliyum | Bagh Bakri |
Act & Guess, our take on dumb charades, has no traditional name: it's the film-title acting game every family plays at weddings and on long journeys, built for video calls.
Three ways to play
- On a video call: during a one-to-one call with a host, open a game and keep talking face to face while you play. Games inside calls are always free. Video calls on Viaraa are with hosts: women aged 18 or over who chose to host, each checked by our team.
- With friends and family: make a group with up to 12 people, chat, and start a game whenever you like. Invite people by their Game ID, so nobody needs to share a phone number.
- Against the computer: choose Play with Viaraa in the Games tab and play any time. Good for learning a game before you play your family.
Outside calls, playing with friends, in groups and against the computer is free for now.
Why these games have lasted
Most of these games are centuries old. Snakes & Ladders began in India as a game about good and bad deeds. Ludo is a simpler form of Pachisi, played on cloth boards with cowrie shells. Pallanguzhi belongs to the family of pit-and-seed games played around the world, and Tiger & Goats is one of the hunt games drawn on floors and verandahs across South Asia.
They lasted because they need almost nothing, a board drawn in chalk and a few seeds or shells, and because anyone can play: children, grandparents, and everyone between. Playing them on a video call keeps that going for families who now live in different cities.
Games for every age
These games are some of the few that grandparents, parents and children can all enjoy together. Snakes & Ladders and Ludo are pure fun with a bit of luck, so the youngest player has as good a chance as anyone. Pallanguzhi and Tiger & Goats take patience and planning, which is why older relatives are often the cleverest players at the table.
On a video call, a game also gives a conversation something to hang on. Instead of "so, what else?", there's always a roll to make, a move to argue about, or a goat to rescue. Families who live far apart often find a weekly game becomes the call nobody wants to miss.
Fair and simple on Viaraa
- The dice are rolled fairly by our server, not on anyone's phone.
- The board only allows moves the rules allow, and counts and moves for you where it can.
- Games go turn by turn, so friends in different cities can play at their own pace.
- Games are just for fun: trophies, badges and bragging rights, nothing else.
More ways to have fun on a call
Looking for games that need nothing but your voices, like Antakshari or twenty questions? See our list of 12 games to play on a video call. And if you'd like to talk in your own language while you play, see our Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi video call pages.
Questions, answered
Which traditional Indian board games can I play online?
On Viaraa: Snakes & Ladders (Paramapadham), Ludo (Thaayam, Pachisi), Pallanguzhi, Tiger & Goats (Aadu Puli Aattam), and Act & Guess on video calls.
Can I play board games on a video call?
Yes. During a Viaraa video call, open a game and both of you see the board while you keep talking.
Are the games free?
Games inside video calls are always free. Outside calls, playing with friends, in groups and against the computer is free for now.
Can I play with my family in another city?
Yes. Make a group with up to 12 people and start a game. Games go turn by turn, so everyone can play from wherever they are.
Do I need to download anything?
No. Viaraa runs in the browser on Android, iPhone and computers.