  The game of Gyan Chauper or snakes and ladders exists in many forms
throughout history as a board game of varying size, structure, and game
elements of snakes and ladders associated with various vices and virtues
inscribed within the board. Here, three boards were analyzed via Monte Carlo
simulation, including the 1998 Milton Bradley version, the 72-square Vaisnava
board, and the 84-square Jaina board, with the goal of understanding the
relationships between board design and associated behaviors and spiritual
concepts. Game play on each board was simulated 100,000 times with variations
that included individual removal of a snake or ladder, thereby quantifying the
importance of that element towards achieving victory. Comparison of the
weighted importance of each game element and associated vice and virtue then
permitted analysis of their importance for the game designer and their
associated culture.
