In this article, I will introduce you to the basic rules of the board game Sorry and show you how to play. The object of the game is to get all your pawns from the start space to the home space by traveling around the board clockwise as indicated by the arrows.
Setup
Layout the board. Each player picks a color and places their four pawns in the corresponding start space. Shuffle the deck of cards and place facedown for a draw deck.
On your turn, you draw a card and, if possible, apply its effects then discard it. Each card says what it does and I’ll go over each of them later. If the card cannot be fulfilled discard it and end your turn. Play proceeds with the next player to your left.
Starting move
You are only allowed to move a pawn out of the start space with a 1, 2, or sorry card. Pawns in your start space cannot move from any other card until they leave the start space.
On a one or two move your pawn directly below your start space onto the entry circle. If another player’s pawn is on your entry Circle bump it back to start.
Moving pawns
You may not move a pawn to the entry circle if one of your own pawns is already there. You are allowed to jump over pawns on the board that are in your way counting it as one space. But, you may not share a space with another pawn. Instead when landing on the same space as an opponent’s pawn bump their pawn back to their start space. If space is already occupied by your pawn you may not move there. And, if you can move you must. If you can’t, you forfeit your turn and the next player goes.
In order to land your pawns in the home space, they must move in with the exact number. Any time you land by exact count on a sliding triangle that is not your own color, your pond slides down to the circle at its end bumping off all pawns back to start that are in the way. If you land on the triangle of a slide of your own color you don’t do anything.
Safety zone
When you travel around the board and return to your starting area, instead of proceeding straight, your pawn goes into your safety zone. Only you are allowed to enter your color safety zone.
Pawns inside a safety zone may not be targeted by sorry cards. No pawn may enter its safety zone by the backward movement. However, you may move backward past your safety zone then, on a subsequent turn, move forward into it.
Playing Cards
The cards are as follows:
One. Either start upon out or move one pend forward one space.
Two. Either start upon out or move one pawn forward two spaces. Whichever you do even if you couldn’t move draw again and move accordingly.
Three. Move one pawn forward three spaces.
Four. Move one pawn backward four spaces.
Five. Move one pawn forward five spaces.
Seven. Either move one pawn forward 7 spaces or split the forward move between any two pawns. You cannot use a 7 to start a pawn and if you use a 7 to get a pawn home you must be able to use the remainder of the move for another pawn.
Eight. Move one pawn forward eight spaces.
Ten. Either move one pawn forward ten spaces or move one pawn back one space.
Eleven. Move one pawn forward 11 spaces or switch any one of your pawns with any one of your opponents so long as neither pawn is in the start, safe, or home spaces. You may forfeit your move if you don’t want to change places and can’t move 11 spaces forward. If the switch causes you to land on a triangle of another player’s slide, slide to the end.
Twelve. Move one pawn forward 12 spaces.
Sorry. Take one pawn from your start, place it on any square that is occupied by an opponent and bump that opponent’s pawn back to their start space. If there is no pawn on your start or no opponent’s pawn on any space you forfeit your turn. The first player to get all their pawns to their home space wins. Check out the rule variation for adults.
How to play Sorry adult variation
All the regular rules apply. Except, start the game with one pawn on the start circle outside your start space and three pawns in the start space. Shuffle the deck and deal five cards to each player.
On your turn, you play one card from your hand and move according to its instruction. If you don’t have a move you discard one card and forfeit your turn. At the end of your turn, you draw your hand back up to five cards. The first player to get all four pawns to the home space wins.
Sorry Board Game on the Market
There are many variants of the game Sorry on the market. I give you the link to the game that I refer to in this article.
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