
Official Aggravation Rules
How To Play Aggravation

2 - 6
Players

6+
Ages

60 MIN
Play Time

$12
Price
Aggravation is an energetic, fun, fast-moving family game in which you're always on the go and at your opponent's tail. The object is simple: roll the dice and move your marbles around the board. But as true to its name, it can also get your opponent's marbles back to the beginning if you fall on his space, thus making everybody alert for anything.
This game is pure pandemonium, full of playful chaos, laughter, yelling, and a smidgeon of friendly frustration. The thrill of "picking on" another player's marble and sending it back to their base is what makes the game so fun, even if it does cause a few shouts along the way. The excitement comes from the tension between getting ahead and the risk of being sent back to the beginning.
Aggravation’s game time typically lasts between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the number of players. It’s a perfect game for family gatherings or hanging out with friends, as everyone will be laughing and strategizing as they race to get their marbles into their home spaces. If you’re looking for a game full of fun, surprises, and a little bit of aggravation, give Aggravation a try!
This game is pure pandemonium, full of playful chaos, laughter, yelling, and a smidgeon of friendly frustration. The thrill of "picking on" another player's marble and sending it back to their base is what makes the game so fun, even if it does cause a few shouts along the way. The excitement comes from the tension between getting ahead and the risk of being sent back to the beginning.
Aggravation’s game time typically lasts between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the number of players. It’s a perfect game for family gatherings or hanging out with friends, as everyone will be laughing and strategizing as they race to get their marbles into their home spaces. If you’re looking for a game full of fun, surprises, and a little bit of aggravation, give Aggravation a try!
- Game Board
- 24 Marbles
- Die
- The Official Aggravation Game Rules And Instructions

The winner of Aggravation is the player that can get all four of their marbles from their starting base to their home base.

Perparation: First, each player selects a color of marble. If two players want the same color, that color will be decided by a quick game of rock-paper-scissors. Each color has four marbles, and on the board, there are blocks of four colored spaces where these marbles are going to rest. These are your base slots, and all marbles must start from these positions. To determine who goes first, players roll a die, with the highest roll starting.
Game Play: The goal of Aggravation is to have fun, but the objective of the game is to move your marbles around the board and be the first to get them all into your home spaces. Each player has five colored spaces on the board with four in a row to the right of their base block. Reaching these will require players to move their marbles through the board in a clockwise direction.
To have the marbles start moving, they need to be activated. A player's starting point is marked by the last colored space on the board. You must roll a one or a six on your turn to activate a marble. After that, the marble will begin its movement in a clockwise manner towards the home spaces. You cannot activate any other marble if one is sitting in your home space, so you will have to move it first. If you roll a six, not only does it activate a marble, but you also get to take another turn.
Movement is by the roll of the die, and you move the selected marble the number of spaces shown on the die. Marbles cannot jump over or pass your own pieces, nor can they move beyond the end of your home spaces. When you cannot play any marble, you have to pass on your turn. If a marble lands on a piece of another player's, it "aggravates" that marble, sending it back to the opponent's base area. Aggravation is really a strategic and time-sensitive game. You can adjust the game for younger players or add more challenges by making house rules so your family can make the game their own.
Please keep in mind that the official Aggravation PDF rules listed below could be different depending on the version you have. They should be an exact copy of what came in your original packaging. Download them to view now or print them for later use.
Game Play: The goal of Aggravation is to have fun, but the objective of the game is to move your marbles around the board and be the first to get them all into your home spaces. Each player has five colored spaces on the board with four in a row to the right of their base block. Reaching these will require players to move their marbles through the board in a clockwise direction.
To have the marbles start moving, they need to be activated. A player's starting point is marked by the last colored space on the board. You must roll a one or a six on your turn to activate a marble. After that, the marble will begin its movement in a clockwise manner towards the home spaces. You cannot activate any other marble if one is sitting in your home space, so you will have to move it first. If you roll a six, not only does it activate a marble, but you also get to take another turn.
Movement is by the roll of the die, and you move the selected marble the number of spaces shown on the die. Marbles cannot jump over or pass your own pieces, nor can they move beyond the end of your home spaces. When you cannot play any marble, you have to pass on your turn. If a marble lands on a piece of another player's, it "aggravates" that marble, sending it back to the opponent's base area. Aggravation is really a strategic and time-sensitive game. You can adjust the game for younger players or add more challenges by making house rules so your family can make the game their own.
Please keep in mind that the official Aggravation PDF rules listed below could be different depending on the version you have. They should be an exact copy of what came in your original packaging. Download them to view now or print them for later use.
Share with us your comments, funny stories, tips, advice, strategies, creative ways to play, questions about playing, problems with the directions, etc. All submissions will be reviewed within 24 hours.
Janice Wood says:
I have the game that my uncle made in the 1950’s. It has only 4 players and does not have a corner star but it does have the middle space. I’ve read the rules so will have to adapt minor changes since it is a 4 played rendition.
06-15-2022
I have the game that my uncle made in the 1950’s. It has only 4 players and does not have a corner star but it does have the middle space. I’ve read the rules so will have to adapt minor changes since it is a 4 played rendition.
wanda says:
in the original it is acceptable my great uncle created this game
07-17-2017
in the original it is acceptable my great uncle created this game
Staci says:
I could not think of a better name for this game. I got so frustrated (in a fun kind of way) as I tried over and over to win. We didn't have a set of rules to learn how to play, we just asked our parents. The more people you have playing the more difficult it is.
04-04-2017
I could not think of a better name for this game. I got so frustrated (in a fun kind of way) as I tried over and over to win. We didn't have a set of rules to learn how to play, we just asked our parents. The more people you have playing the more difficult it is.
Chris Russell says:
If two people on the same team purposely avoid sending the other home, is that acceptable? Isn't that what the game is all about?
08-16-2015
If two people on the same team purposely avoid sending the other home, is that acceptable? Isn't that what the game is all about?
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