OBJECT OF THE GAME:

Be the first player or team to move all of your colored marbles around the board from the starting circles to the home line position.

PLAYERS:

Aggravation can be played with 2-4 players on a 4 player board or 2-6 players on a six player board.

PREPARATION:

Aggravation can be played with 2-3 single players or in teams of 2. Teammates will sit across from each other.

Each player chooses a set of 4 matching-colored marbles and places them in the starting circles that match their color of choice.

Each player picks a card and the highest card plays first. Play continues clockwise (to the left).

Shuffle the cards and deal 5 to each player.

To get your marbles out of the starting circles, you will need to play a King or an Ace.

The cards can move your marbles around the board as follows:

Ace – Move Forward 1, or use it to take you or your partner out of your starting circles
2 – Move Forward 2
3 – Move Forward 3
4 – Move Backwards 4
5 – Move Forward 5
6 – Move Forward 6
7 – Move Forward 7
8 – Move Forward 8
9 – Move Forward 9
10 – Move Forward 10
Jack – Move Forward 11
Queen – Move Forward 12
King – Out card for you or your partner


RULES:

Marbles are moved around the board by placing a card down and moving the number of spaces indicated by the card.

Playing Your Cards

To start your marble on the board, you must play a King or an Ace. You can either start your partner or yourself.

After a card is played, the player draws a new card from the picking deck to keep 5 cards in their hand.

If the player forgets to draw a card, they must wait until their turn and after playing a card, they must draw two cards from the deck to bring the total number of cards in their hand back to five.

All played cards remain in a discard pile until all deck picking cards have been played and the deck needs to be reshuffled.

Once a player removes a card from their hand and it is placed down, it is considered played. A card laid is a card played – you cannot pick up the card again to change a move.

If a player has no cards they can actively play, they must discard a card and pick from the deck but cannot move their marbles until the next turn.

Once a player has moved all their marbles into the home line, that player wins if playing with single players. If playing with teams, the player that has moved all their marbles into the home line can use their cards to help move their partner’s marbles into their partner’s home line.

There is no table talk or hints allowed when playing as a team.

Marbles on the Board

If you play a card that would land on another player’s marble, that marble will go back to the starting circles and your marble will take that position. This includes if you land on your own marble or your teammates marble when there is no other play available.

If another player lands on your marble on the board, your marble will return to the starting circles and the other players marble will take your marble’s place on the board.

Marbles in the Home Line

Marbles in the home space are safe from other players sending them back to the starting circle.

Marbles that are in the home line cannot ‘jump’ over other marbles to fill spaces in the home line. They cannot be sent back to the starting circles when in the home line. You must have the exact number on your cards to line up all four marbles in the home line.

If you have no other playable marbles on the board, have at least one marble in the home line, but have a 4 in your hand, you must play it and move your last homed marble backward out of the home line. This leaves your marble out of the home line and vulnerable for others to send the marble back to the starting circles.

Variations

The center hole can be used as a shortcut. You can only move into the center hole by exact count on the cards. You can only move to the center hole by playing an Ace. Once you move into the center hole, you can only move out if you play another Ace on a future turn. You will exit the center hole onto the hole closest to the path to your home line. Your marble can still be sent to the starting circle if another player takes it’s place in the center hole position. This shortcut is optional.

EQUIPMENT:

  • 1 Game Board
  • 1 Deck of Cards
  • 16 Marbles for a 4 Player Game

-4 Orange Marbles

-4 Green Marbles

-4 Blue Marbles

-4 Yellow Marbles

  • 24 Marbles for a 6 Player Game

-4 Orange Marbles

-4 Green Marbles

-4 Blue Marbles

-4 Yellow Marbles

-4 Black Marbles

-4 White Marbles

Have fun!