Sorry! (game)
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Sorry!, the slide pursuit game is a board game based on pachisi, sold by Parker Brothers.
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[edit] History
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The earliest variation of today's Sorry! can be traced back to England, shortly before its arrival in the United States. Sorry! was adopted by Parker Brothers in 1934, and has remained in their possession since. It is an American hallmark board game, being played by generations of Americans, as well as throughout the world.
[edit] Objective
Each player has his or her own "start" location and "home" location. The objective is to be the first player to get all four pawns from the start square to the home square. Normal play rotates clockwise, but pawns can move backward if directed and sometimes can be done to one's advantage.
Sorry! is played by drawing cards instead of rolling dice.The objective is to be the first person to the home.
[edit] Rules
Each player in turn draws one card from the stack and follows its instructions, but pawns cannot leave the start area unless one draws a card that presents that specific instruction. Otherwise, players can choose any pawn they wish to move so long as they complete the exact move as instructed. Players who cannot do so forfeit their turn.
Two pawns can not occupy the same square. A pawn that lands on a square occupied by another sends that pawn back to its start location (the core of Sorry!). While the object of the game is for players to move all of their pawns home, the fun of the game is bumping other players back to start, especially if they are close to their homes.
In most instances, players cannot bump their own pawns back to start. If the only way to complete a move would result in a player bumping himself, these players just lose their turn.
If a pawn lands at the start of a slide (including those of its own color), it immediately moves to the last square of the slide. All pawns anywhere on the slide (including those of the same color, and including pawns on the "end spots" of the slide) are sent back to start.
The last five squares before home are the "safety zone" – access is limited to only those pawns of the same color. Pawns inside the zone are safe from being knocked off by an opponent or sent back to start through the instruction of other certain cards. However, forced backward moves can cause a pawn to exit the zone, and a pawn can only enter home upon exact count: an 8 is unplayable when there are only 3 spaces remaining, for example.
[edit] Cards and function
There are no cards marked six or nine. After the description of each card below, the numbers in parentheses indicate how many of that certain card are in the deck. For example, the deck has five "Start or move forward one" cards.
| 1 | Move a pawn from start OR move a pawn 1 space forward (five) |
|---|---|
| 2 | Move a pawn from start OR move a pawn 2 spaces forward, AND draw again regardless of whether the player can move or not (four) |
| 3 | Move a pawn 3 spaces forward (four) |
| 4 | Move a pawn 4 spaces backward (four) |
| 5 | Move a pawn 5 spaces forward (four) |
| 7 | Move one pawn 7 spaces forward or split the 7 spaces between two pawns (for example, five spaces for one pawn and two for another) (four) |
| 8 | Move a pawn 8 spaces forward (four) |
| 10 | Move a pawn 10 spaces forward or 1 space backward (four) |
| 11 | Move 11 spaces forward or switch places with one opposing pawn, if the player cannot move 11 spaces they are not forced to switch and instead can forfeit their turn (four) |
| 12 | Move a pawn 12 spaces forward (four) |
| Sorry! card | Move any one pawn from "start" to a square occupied by any opponent, sending that pawn back to its own "start". Nothing happens if there are no opposing pawns on the board or there are no pawns in the player's start. |
[edit] Strategy
Players who have a pawn that has not moved too far away from its start area, and draw a card that allows them to move a pawn backward, can (and should) elect to move this pawn backward. Move a pawn in such a situtation backward enough, and the pawn is suddenly almost home.
[edit] Teams
Red's teammate is always yellow and blue's teammate is always green. On any draw, a player may use his card on any of his own or his partner's pieces, so long as that move is legal. A 7 card may be split up among any two of the partnership's pieces, including one of his pieces and one of his partner's pieces. If he draws a 1 or 2 card, he may move either his own or his partner's pieces out of home, and draw again if it was a 2. "Sorry!" cards must be used if possible, although forcing the most advantageous move is not allowed. If only friendly pieces are on the board, he must bump his partner. If his partner is on a slide, and the player performs a slide, the pieces are bumped back to start. Landing on one's partner's square will also send the occupying piece back to home.
Once one of the partners has played all of his pieces into home, he continues to draw and play cards on his turn, if possible, for his partner. The first partnership to play all eight pieces in its home wins.
[edit] Variation
A variation with more scope for strategy is for each player to play the card of their choice from a hand, replenishing the played card from the stock.
This variation is played by shuffling a full deck of Sorry! cards, and selecting a dealer. Five cards are dealt face-down to each player. Starting player selection is decided by normal play rules. For each turn, players pick one card from their hand and play it face up. Normal rules apply for Movements/Switches/Redraws/etc. If a 2 is played, they may play another card. Being unable to play a card after playing a 2 card does not warrant the reshuffle rule, however, if able to play another, they must. At the end of the turn, that player picks up however many cards were played face-down. End rules apply. This variation is commonly coupled with point-play, noting that it is usually produces faster and more aggressive play.
Similar to regular game rules, a player must play a card if able. If she is unable to play a card (called a dead hand), she must discard one card and draw another face-down. If she is able to play a card, she must do so. If she is able to play multiple cards, she may choose freely which one to play.
Hoyle Table Games, a computer game consisting of 18 board/table games offers a game similar to Sorry! entitled Bump 'Em. Instead of using pawns, the players use bumper cars. There are four teams: red, blue, yellow and green. The board does not move in a regular square, it is difficult to explain it's actual shape. There are no partnerships allowed.
The following cards have the following abilities. There is no specific amount of each card, due to the fact it is a chance by computer.
1: Move one bumper car out of "pit row" (start) or advance one space 2: Advance two spaces 3: Advance three spaces and take another card 4: Advance four spaces 5: Advance five spaces 6: Advance six spaces or move nine spaces backwards 7: Advance seven spaces or switch places with an opponent 8: Advance eight spaces or split the move between two bumper cars 9: Advance nine spaces or move six spaces backwards 10: Advance ten spaces 11: Advance eleven spaces or move one space backwards 12: Advance twelve spaces or move one bumper car out of pit row Bump 'Em: Similar to the Sorry! card in the traditional game. Take one bumper car currently in pit row. Choose an opponent's car. Take their place and send them back to pit row. If you have no cars in pit row, you must pass. You cannot save this card for later, as you would in a traditional Sorry! game.
The board also comes with oil slicks, which act as the Slides! and landing on a persons bumper car will "bump" them back to pit row.
[edit] Point Play
Variation rules apply (Five cards in hand style play, see "Variation"). The winner is decided by achieving a certain amount a points over a span of several games.
Point system goes as follows:
| Points | Scenario |
|---|---|
| 5 | To any player with X number of their own pieces in home (X being number of pieces in home at games end) |
| 5 | To winner for each opponents piece not in home |
| 25 | To winner if no opponent has more than two pieces in home |
| 50 | To winner if no opponent has more than one piece in home |
| 100 | To winner if no opponent's pieces have reached home |
The winner is decided when one player achieves a set number of points. That set number of points is decided before any play starts, and is agreed upon by all players. Any number of points can be chosen, as long as all players agree upon in. Variations for faster play include point penalties for certain cards in each players hand at the end of each set.
[edit] Diamond space
Older versions of Sorry! contanined a "diamond space" directly one space back from the start square. This allowed the opportunity for a "10" card to be used in its variation of "one space backwards", thus allowing a freshly entered piece to move backwards one space and onto the diamond. However, once on the diamond, that piece was not allowed to move forward except by force of an opponent's Sorry! or "11" card). That piece would have to remain on the diamond square until the drawing of a 4, 10 (which would be a forced "one space backwards"), or 11 (which would be a forced "switch"). It was always subjected to an opponent's Sorry! or "11 - Switch", and likewise was sent back to start if an opponent landed on the diamond square. Thus, players could pass over other opponents' diamond squares, but never their own.
According to the included rules in several newer editions, the directions state that a player may enter his safety zone by drawing a 4 or 10 card, and moving a fresh piece backwards accordingly. However, a 10 card, moving one space backward, will not allow entry to the safety zone, and is still subject to a forced move. One would need to draw two 10 cards to move a piece into the front of the safety zone.
The original English rules stated that a pawn could not pass over the diamond square(of its own colour); pretty obvious since otherwise it would be going round again rather than going to "HOME" This did not prevent reaching the diamond square by means of a 10 card, backwards from the "START" square, but later being forced to move forward because no other move was available. As the pawn had not passed onto the square in the forward direction, it had not passed over the square; rather it had reversed onto it.
[edit] See also
- Aggravation (game)
- Ludo (board game)
- Parcheesi
- Sorry (video game)
- Trouble (board game)
- Wahoo (board game)
- JUXTAPONO
