Sorry is a family friendly game that can be played between 2 to 4 players who are 6 or older. The objective of the game is simple: you must get your four pawns from START to HOME before your opponents do. But the game can get tricky because you can send other players back to the start and lose turns if you can't move to a space you don't occupy. Learn how to play Sorry and give it a try on your next family game night.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Set up the game
Step 1. Choose the color of your pawns and place them in START
Sorry comes with four sets of red, blue, green and yellow pawns. Pick a color and take all your pawns. Then place a pawn of each color on START.
Step 2. Shuffle the cards and place them on the board
Take the Sorry cards and shuffle them a few times to mix them up. Make sure all the cards are turned in the same direction on the pile. Then, place the pile face down in the card slot on the board. There are 11 different types of cards in the deck, and they all allow you to do slightly different things. The cards that are included in Sorry are:
- 1: You can move a pawn from the beginning or advance 1 space.
- 2: You can move a pawn from the beginning or advance two spaces. You must remove another card.
- 3: go forward 3 spaces.
- 4: "backs up" 4 spaces.
- 5: go forward 5 spaces.
- 7: Advance 7 spaces or divide them by “2” pawns (for example, 3 spaces for one pawn and 4 spaces for the other).
- 8: go forward 8 spaces.
- 10: go forward 10 spaces or "go back" 1 space.
- 11: Advance 11 spaces or switch places with an opponent. If it is impossible to advance 11 spaces and there are no opponent's pawns on the board, then you will have to switch places with your partner or lose your turn.
- 12: go 12 spaces.
- Sorry !: You can save this card for later use or you can use it to send an opponent's pawn to START.
Step 3. Decide who plays first
Pick someone to play first before the game starts. You can choose a person at random, ask the youngest (or oldest) player to play first, or start with the player who won the last game. The player to the left of the starter will take the next turn and turns will continue clockwise for the remainder of the game.
Part 2 of 2: Play Sorry
Step 1. Draw a card at the beginning of each turn
The first thing each player must do at the start of their turn is draw a card from the pile. Cards cannot be taken from among the cards that are discarded. Only face down cards can be taken. When you draw a card, read what it says and follow the instructions.
- Some cards have special rules that allow you to split the move between two pawns, take the place of an opponent's pawn, or go back.
- You must roll 1 or 2 to make your first move.
Step 2. Jump on the pawns that belong to you or other players
If you draw a card that allows one or more of your pawns to pass another player's pawns or to pass your own pawns, then you can jump on them. Don't move another player's pawns if you jump them, just move your pawns to the space that the card allows you to move.
Step 3. Bounce your opponent's pawns if you reach an occupied space
If you reach a space that is occupied by an opponent's pawn, then you will have to return it to START. In Sorry, two pawns can never occupy the same space.
If you draw a card that tells you to move one of your pawns to a space that already belongs to you, you don't need to move that turn. Leave all your pawns where they are and allow the next player to take their turn
Step 4. Slide your pawn if you hit a SLIDE triangle
If you come to a SLIDE triangle that is not the same color as your pawns, then you must slide your pawn to the circle at the end of the triangle. As you slide it, kick any other pawns (including yours) back to HOME. If the triangle is the same color as your pawns, you don't need to slide them. Just leave them in the triangle and move as usual during your next turn.
Step 5. Observe the SAFE ZONE
Each player has a SAFE ZONE that is the same color as their pawns. If the card you drew allows you to do so, you can move your pawns to your SAFE ZONE. Doing so can protect you from losing the progress you have made with one of your pawns. On a subsequent turn, you can move your pawn out of the SAFE ZONE if the card allows you to do so.
Step 6. Shuffle the pile of discarded cards if you used all the cards before the game ends
You and your fellow players may remove all the cards from the deck before the game is over. If this is the case, then simply shuffle the deck and put the cards face down again in the place of the cards on the Sorry board.
Step 7. Get all your pawns to the HOME space to win the game
To win Sorry, you have to get all your pawns to the HOME space. Getting all of your pawns HOME sounds easy, but it can take time, as other players can bounce your pawns back to HOME. You must also get the exact number of spaces between a pawn and the HOME space to get there. The number cannot be higher than the number of spaces between your pawn and the HOME space.