Game Board Instructions

The Classic Marble Race Game 2 to 4 or 6 Players / Ages 6 and up.

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD: Game contains small marbles.  Not for children under 4 years old.

Game boards are available in solid oak, maple, or walnut and have a beautiful oiled finish.

We also offer additional or replacement marbles should any go missing!

Aggravation Boards come in multiple sizes and ways to play with 2, 4, or 6 players:

  • 4 Player: 4 Dice (1 each of 4 colors) and 16 Marbles (4 each of 4 colors)
  • 6 Player: 6 Dice (1 each of 6 colors) and 24 Marbles (4 each of 6 colors)

 

This illustration represents the 6-Player Game Board, but the instructions for gameplay also apply to the 4-Player Game Board.

The Object of Aggravation

Be first to move all 4 of your mar­bles around the board from BASE to HOME. You don't have to "aggravate" the other players to win - but it sure helps!

Aggravation Setup

  1. Each player chooses a set of 4 matching colored marbles and places them in their BASE row.
  2. Each player rolls the die. The player rolling the highest num­ber goes first. Play passes to the left.

How to Play Aggravation

To start your turn, roll the die once and try to move a marble. Anytime you roll a 6, you can take an extra turn.

Start a Marble First

Before any marble can be moved around the board, it must be moved from the BASE row and placed in the START hole. See Figure 1.

You can "start" a marble only on a die roll of 1 or 6. Once a marble is in START, it can be moved on your next turn. 

Moving Your Marbles

Once a marble has been "started," it moves clockwise along the game path holes the number shown on your die roll. Count each hole, whether it is empty or occupied by an opponent.

After you have one or more mar­bles on the game path, rolling 1 or 6, allows you to place a new marble in the START hole or you have the option to move a marble already on the path the number of holes shown on your die roll. 

NOTE: When one of your marbles is sit­ting in the START hole, you can­not move a new marble into that space.

You can jump over or land on an opponent's marble (See "Getting Aggravated" for details), however, you cannot jump over or land on your own marbles. If one of your own marbles is keeping you from moving another marble the full count on the die, then you cannot move that "blocked" marble.

Getting Aggravated

If an opponent lands on one of your marbles by exact count, your marble is "aggravated" and must immediately return to your BASE row.

Your opponent's marble then occupies the hole you gave up. Marbles can be "aggravated" any­where on the board except in their BASE or HOME positions.

If your marble has been "aggra­vated" and returned to BASE, you can move it back into the START hole on your turn by rolling 1 or 6 as previously explained.

Note: If an opponent's marble is in your START hole when you roll 1 or 6, you can still move one of your marbles from your BASE into START. Simply "aggravate" your opponent's marble and send it back to its BASE.

Shortcuts in Aggravation

Shortcuts are optional. They're great because they shorten the time it takes to move around the board. But be careful! Opponents can "aggravate" your marble in the Center or Star holes! Keep this in mind whenever you take a shortcut

view cribbage boards


Star Hole Shortcut

Whenever a marble lands in a Star hole by exact count, it can be moved clockwise around the Star holes on your next turn. Move the mar­ble the number of holes allowed by your die roll.

Exit the Star holes onto the path that leads to your HOME area. Then continue moving down the path by the remaining count on your die roll.  (You can exit from any Star hole.)

Center Hole Shortcut

The hole in the center of the game board is a super shortcut. You can move into the Center hole only by exact count on the die. See Figure 3. (You can move into the Center hole from a Star hole only by rolling a 1.)

Once you move into the Center hole, the only way out is to roll a 1 on a future turn. Exit the Center hole onto the Star hole closest to the path that leads to your HOME area. (You can also exit to any other Star hole if you wish.)

Getting Home Safe

Enter into any of the 4 holes in HOME by exact count.  Remember, you can­ not jump over your own mar­bles, so keep this in mind as you try to move each marble into HOME.

If your die roll gives you too many moves to get into your HOME area by exact count, you cannot move that marble. Try to move one of your other marbles instead. 

If you do not have any other marbles still in play, your turn is over.

How to Win in Aggravation

Be the first to move all 4 of your marbles into your HOME area to win!

Other Fun Ways to Play Aggravation

Partnership Play 

Your partner will play opposite you on the board. Game play is like individual play except for the following: 
  1. You can jump over your partner's marbles. If you land on one of your partner's marbles by exact count, you must "aggravate" it by sending it back to BASE.
  2. If all your marbles are HOME safe, you still continue to roll the die in turn. 

    Your partner then moves his or her marble(s) the number of spaces you roll.
The first partnership to get all of its marbles HOME wins the game.

Team Play for 6 Players

Each team consists of three play­ers. Team members are seated alternately around the board. The game is played as in Partnership Play except for the following:
  1. A player with all marbles HOME safe continues to roll the die in turn. If both of his or her team­mates are still on the board, the player must declare, before roll­ing the die, which teammate is to use the number he or she rolls.
  2. When the marbles of two team members are HOME safe, both these players roll the die in turn. 
    The team member still on the board moves his or her remaining marble(s) according to the numbers rolled.
The first team to get all its marbles HOME wins the game.