In Sorry!, 2 to 4 players race their four pawns from START, once around the board and into HOME. Instead of dice, you draw a card and move the number it shows. You need a 1 or a 2 to move a pawn out of START. Land on an opponent’s pawn and you bump it back to its START. The first player to get all four pawns HOME wins.
This guide follows Hasbro’s official rules for the classic Sorry! game. It covers every card, how slides work, the safety zone and the two variations in the box: team play and the adult points game.
- Players: 2 to 4, ages 6 and up
- Pawns: 4 per player, starting on your colour’s START
- Deck: numbered cards and SORRY! cards, with no 6s or 9s
- To leave START: draw a 1 or a 2 (or use a SORRY! card)
- To win: get all four pawns into your HOME first, by exact count
How to set up Sorry!
- Each player picks a colour and puts all four pawns of that colour on their START space.
- Shuffle the cards and place them face down on “Place Pack Here” to make the draw pile.
- Pick a player to go first. Pawns move clockwise, and play passes to the left.
For a faster game, Hasbro’s rules let each player start with one pawn already out on the circle just below their START, and three pawns on START.
How to play Sorry!
On your turn, take the top card, move as it says, and put the card face up on “Discard Here”. If the draw pile runs out, shuffle the discards to make a new one.
- If you can move, you must, even if the move is bad for you.
- If you can’t move, you lose your turn. On your first turn, that happens if you don’t draw a 1, a 2 or another card that starts a pawn.
- Jumping: you can jump over any pawn in your way. It counts as one space.
- Bumping: if you land on a space with an opponent’s pawn, send that pawn back to its START.
- Your own pawns: two of your pawns can never share a space. If your only move would land on your own pawn, you lose your turn.
What does each card do in Sorry!?
Most cards move one pawn forward by their number. The 4 moves you backward, and the 1, 2, 7, 10, 11 and SORRY! cards have special choices.
| Card | What it does |
|---|---|
| 1 | Start a pawn, or move one pawn forward 1 space. |
| 2 | Start a pawn, or move one pawn forward 2 spaces. Either way, draw again. |
| 3 | Move one pawn forward 3 spaces. |
| 4 | Move one pawn backward 4 spaces. |
| 5 | Move one pawn forward 5 spaces. |
| 7 | Move one pawn forward 7 spaces, or split the 7 between two pawns (for example 4 and 3). |
| 8 | Move one pawn forward 8 spaces. |
| 10 | Move one pawn forward 10 spaces, or backward 1 space. |
| 11 | Move one pawn forward 11 spaces, or switch places with any opponent’s pawn. |
| 12 | Move one pawn forward 12 spaces. |
| SORRY! | Move a pawn from your START onto any space with an opponent’s pawn, and bump that pawn back to its START. |
A few card rules people often miss:
- The 2 always gives you another draw, even if you couldn’t move with it.
- You can’t start a pawn with a 7. If you use part of a 7 to get a pawn HOME, you must be able to use the rest on another pawn.
- The 11 switch only works on the open track, not on pawns in START, HOME or a safety zone. If you can’t move 11 and don’t want to switch, you may skip your move.
- The SORRY! card needs a pawn on your START and an opponent on the track. If either is missing, you lose your move.
How do slides work in Sorry!?
If your pawn lands exactly on the triangle at the start of a slide that is not your colour, slide to the end. Any pawns on the slide, including your own, get bumped back to START. If the slide is your own colour, don’t slide; just stay on the triangle.
It doesn’t matter which card got you there. An 11 switch that puts you on another colour’s triangle also sends you down the slide.
The safety zone and getting HOME
- Only your own pawns can enter your colour’s safety zone, the short path that leads to your HOME.
- You can’t move forward past your safety zone entry on the outside track. You can pass it going backward (with a 4 or 10), or when an opponent’s SORRY! or 11 card moves you.
- No pawn can enter its safety zone by moving backward. But a pawn can move backward out of it and come back in later.
- You need an exact count to land in HOME. Once a pawn is HOME, it stays there for the rest of the game.
The backward shortcut
Here is a trick the rules allow. If you move a pawn backward at least two spaces past your own START, on a later turn you can move it straight into your safety zone. You skip almost the whole trip around the board. That’s why a 4 card early in the game can be a good card, not a bad one.
Team rules for 4 players
- Red always plays with Yellow, and Green with Blue.
- You may move, or bump, your own pawns or your partner’s.
- If you land on your partner’s pawn, it still goes back to START.
- SORRY! cards must be used, even if that means bumping your own team.
- A 7 can be split among any of your team’s eight pawns.
- The first team to get all eight pawns HOME wins.
Sorry! for adults: the points game
In this variation, each player holds a hand of five cards. On your turn, play one card, move, then draw back up to five. If no card lets you move, discard one, draw a new one and end your turn.
When someone gets all four pawns HOME, everyone scores 5 points for each pawn in HOME. The winner also scores:
- 5 points for each opponent’s pawn not in HOME
- 25 points if no opponent has more than two pawns HOME
- 50 points if no opponent has more than one pawn HOME
- 100 points if no opponent got any pawn HOME
Simple Sorry! strategy tips
- Use the backward shortcut. A pawn just past your START is a perfect target for a 4 or a backward 10.
- Save your 11 for a big swap. Switching a pawn near your START with an opponent close to their HOME can swing the game.
- Watch the slides. Before you move, check whether a pawn can land on another colour’s triangle.
- Get pawns into the safety zone. Pawns on the open track can be bumped at any time.
Some themed and newer Sorry! editions change these rules, so check the sheet in your box if your cards look different.
More family game rules: Trouble game rules, Monopoly rules, UNO rules and Yahtzee rules and scoring.
Frequently asked questions
What cards let you start in Sorry!?
A 1 or a 2 moves a pawn from START onto the track. A SORRY! card also takes a pawn from START, but only by bumping an opponent.
Do you need an exact count to get HOME in Sorry!?
Yes. Each pawn must land in HOME by exact count. If the card is too high for any pawn to use, you can’t make that move.
Can you slide on your own colour in Sorry!?
No. If you land on a slide of your own colour, you stay on the triangle. You only slide on other colours.
Can you move backward into your safety zone?
No. A pawn can’t enter its safety zone by a backward move. But if it ends up at least two spaces behind your START, it can move forward into the zone on a later turn.
Do you have to use an 11 to switch in Sorry!?
No. You can move 11 forward instead. If you can’t move 11 and don’t want to switch, you may skip the move.
Are there 6s and 9s in Sorry!?
No. Hasbro’s classic rules say the deck has no 6 or 9 cards, so the numbers jump from 5 to 7 and from 8 to 10.
Can two of your pawns be on the same space?
No. If your only move would land on your own pawn, you lose your turn.
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