Aggravation Rules | How to Play and Win

Aggravation is a 2 to 6 player race game where each player moves four marbles from base around a track with a single die, and you win by getting all four marbles into home by exact count before anyone else. It is not a cooperative game, which is the opposite of what the old version of this page claimed. It is a competitive family race, and it has stayed on shelves since 1962 for the same reason it still works: the rules take five minutes to learn and the marbles do all the drama.

The whole game is three ideas. You roll one die and move a marble. You need a 1 or a 6 to bring a marble out of your base. And you win by moving all four marbles around the board and into your home area by exact count.

The old version of this page spent most of its words on the sound of the game and on storage tips, and almost none on the actual rules, so it was hard to learn the game from it. Everything below is checked against the standard commercial rules transcribed by UltraBoardGames, Wikipedia, and the Hasbro and Winning Moves rulebooks, and where it corrects the old page it says so out loud.

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How you win a game of Aggravation

You win Aggravation by being the first player to move all four of your marbles from your base, around the track, and into your home area by exact count. Each marble has to enter home on the exact number, so a big roll right at the end cannot finish it. The first player to land all four marbles in home wins immediately, and that is the only win condition in the standard rules.

Because it is a race, every turn is about the gap between your marbles and the leader. A 6 is wonderful when you are behind and a small disaster when you are one hole short of home, which is the tension that keeps a game this simple interesting at a modern table.

How a turn works: roll one die and move a marble

A turn is a single roll of one six sided die, and you move one marble clockwise the number of holes shown. Count every hole you pass, empty or occupied by an opponent, and then play passes to the left. Roll a 6 and you take another turn, which is the rule that lets a lucky player pull away from the pack.

Two details sit under that loop. You cannot jump over or land on your own marbles, so one of your own marbles can block a move you would otherwise make. And if no marble can use the roll, your turn is over and play passes on.

Entering a marble needs a 1 or a 6

A marble leaves the base only on a roll of 1 or 6, which moves it onto your start hole. Once you have a marble on the track, a 1 or a 6 gives you a choice: bring a new marble out, or move a marble already on the path. If a marble is sitting on your start hole, you must move that marble before you can bring another one out.

That is why the start of the game can stall. A dry run of 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s keeps every marble in the base, and the first player to roll a 1 or a 6 gets the jump. If an opponent is parked on your start hole when you roll a 1 or a 6, you simply aggravate that marble, send it back to base, and take the hole.

Getting aggravated: capture and what it costs you

Landing on an opponent by exact count aggravates that marble and sends it back to its base, and your marble takes the empty hole. The exact count is the whole point: passing over a marble does nothing, and you only send it home if your die lands you right on it. That single roll is where the game gets its name.

Here is the part that surprises people coming from Parcheesi. Aggravation has no safe holes on the track. A marble is protected from aggravation only in its own base and its own home area, so every hole on the shared track is fair game. The start holes are not protected either, which is exactly how you bump a rival who is camping on your way out.

The star shortcuts and the center super shortcut

A marble that lands in a star hole by exact count can travel around the star holes on your next turn and cut across the middle of the board. On your next turn you move it the number your die allows, exit onto the path that leads toward your home, and keep going with the rest of the count. The center hole is the super shortcut: you can enter it only by exact count, and the only way out is a roll of 1, which takes you to the star hole closest to your home path.

Shortcuts are always optional, and they are a genuine gamble. They can save you several laps of the outer track, but a marble sitting in a star hole or the center can still be aggravated by the next player who lands on it exactly. Use them when you are behind, and think twice when you are the leader everyone is hunting.

How Aggravation compares to Parcheesi and Sorry for family game night

Aggravation is a cross and circle race like Parcheesi and Sorry, but it is the most take that of the three because it has no safe holes on the track at all. All three share the same heartbeat: enter your pieces, race them around, and knock rivals back to the start. The differences decide which one suits your table.

Game	How you move	Feel
Parcheesi	Two dice split between pawns, plus capture and home bonuses	The deepest of the three, with real decisions on top of the dice
Sorry	A 45 card deck instead of dice	Meaner, because the Sorry card and the slides sting
Aggravation	One die, enter on a 1 or 6, and no safe track holes	Fast, loud, and almost pure luck
Trouble	A single die in a sealed pop o matic dome	The simplest first race for a young child

The deepest version of this family is Parcheesi, so if you want the two dice game with split moves and capture bonuses, our Parcheesi guide is the one to read, and the card driven cousin with the famous take that card is covered in our Sorry review.

• Similarities: Both are cross and circle family race games where four marbles travel a track, land on rivals to send them back to base, and race to a center home area.
• Differences: Aggravation uses a single die, enters on a 1 or 6, and has no safe holes on the track, while Parcheesi uses two dice with split moves, capture bonuses, and safety spaces.
• Why this game fans will enjoy it: If your family loves the capture and race rhythm of Parcheesi but wants something faster and simpler, Aggravation keeps the same heartbeat with fewer rules.

Aggravation rules for family game night at a glance

Here is the whole standard game on one screen. Every number below is checked against the standard commercial rules.

Rule	What it says
Players	2 to 6 on the modern six armed board, 2 to 4 on the older four armed board
Marbles	Four per player
Dice	One standard six sided die, rolled on your turn
Starting a marble	Roll a 1 or a 6 to enter a marble on your start hole
A turn	Move one marble clockwise the number of holes shown
Rolling a 6	Take another turn
Your own marbles	You cannot jump over or land on them
Aggravating	Land on an opponent by exact count to send it back to base
Shortcuts	Star holes and the center super shortcut, both entered by exact count
Safe holes	None on the track, only your own base and home area
Home entry	By exact count only
Win	First to move all four marbles into home

Player count and the family game night fit

Aggravation plays 2 to 6 players on the modern six armed board, and it is genuinely good across the range, though a crowded table is where the shouting lives. Two players is a quiet duel with only one rival to worry about, four is the classic family count, and six turns the board into a busy, loud scramble where captures land constantly.

For a family, the appeal is that luck does almost all the work, so Alex at 7 can win with a little help counting holes, and that is rare in a game with this much history. The age on the box is 6 and up, and a full game runs about 45 minutes. If your kids love the race and bump rhythm, our Trouble review is the pop o matic sibling for the same age band, and Candy Land is the gentler first race for a younger sibling who is not ready for the aggravation yet.

Which Aggravation board game to buy

Version	What it is	Best for
Aggravation	The classic box: a wooden board with drilled holes, glass marbles, and one die	Any family, and it is the only box you need
Aggravation 6 player edition	A larger six armed board that seats a full table at once	Families and game nights that regularly host six

Buy the classic first. It is cheap, the tactile wood and glass are the whole charm, and the larger six player board is the same game in a bigger shape, which is fun for a party but takes real table space. If you are building a shelf of family classics, our list of the best board games of all time is where to see how Aggravation stacks up against the rest.

House rules and house strategy (not official rules)

Everything in this section is our family house advice, not the rulebook, and none of it is official. If you want the pure game, follow the box.

Spread your marbles instead of racing one home. A single leader is a single target, so keeping two or three marbles moving in a loose group gives you options and stops one exact roll from erasing your whole game.

Hunt the leader, not the straggler. Because there are no safe holes, an exact roll can always hurt whoever is closest to home, and that is the cleanest way to slow a runaway leader.

Treat the shortcut as a catch up tool. If you are behind, cutting across the middle can save you several laps. If you are ahead, staying on the outer track keeps you out of the busy middle where everyone can land on you.

Settle the tears rule before you start. The best house rule we ever added is simple: you may only aggravate the current leader on a big table. It keeps the game competitive, it stops the youngest player being picked on, and it removes most of the crying.

Say one thing plainly to your table. Aggravation has a lot of house variants, and many families play a version that is not the box. Some add a second die, some invent safe holes to blunt the aggravation, and some play in teams. None of that is wrong, it is just a different game, so agree your version out loud before the first roll. If you enjoy planning a few moves ahead, our Sequence strategy guide is the next step up for a family that likes a little tactics with its luck.

Frequently asked questions

How many players can play Aggravation?

Aggravation plays 2 to 6 players on the modern six armed board, and the older four armed board plays 2 to 4. Each player races four marbles, so a full table keeps all six colors moving at once.

How do you win Aggravation?

You win Aggravation by being the first player to move all four of your marbles from your base, around the track, and into your home area by exact count. A roll that overshoots home cannot finish that marble, so the last few spaces are the tensest.

What do you need to roll to start a marble in Aggravation?

A marble leaves the base only on a roll of 1 or 6, which enters it on your start hole. If a marble already sits on your start hole, you must move it before another marble can come out.

Do you roll one die or two dice in Aggravation?

The standard commercial game uses a single six sided die, and a roll of 6 grants another turn. Some home sets and the closely related folk games add a second die, so read the rulebook that came with your board.

What happens when you land on another player in Aggravation?

Landing on an opponent by exact count aggravates that marble and sends it back to its base, which is where the game gets its name. Your marble takes the empty hole, and the return trip can erase a few turns of progress.

How do the shortcuts work in Aggravation?

A marble that lands in a star hole by exact count can travel around the star holes on its next turn and cut across the middle of the board. The center hole is the super shortcut, entered by exact count and left only on a roll of 1, and a marble can still be aggravated there.

Is Aggravation good for kids and families?

Yes, Aggravation is a genuine cheap family classic for ages 6 and up that teaches in minutes and plays in about 45 minutes. The luck is high and being sent home can sting, so it rewards a calm table and a sense of humor.