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Sorry vs Aggravation is a fair question, because the two games look almost identical from across the room. Both are race games where you move four pieces from a start area, around the board and into home, and both let you send an opponent back to the beginning by landing on them. The difference is in how you move and how many people can play. Sorry uses a deck of cards with special actions. Aggravation uses a single die, marbles and shortcuts across the middle of the board. Here is how they compare and which one belongs on your shelf.
Best for most families: Classic Sorry (retro edition)
Cards give every turn a small decision, the rules fit on one page, and it plays 2 to 4 people. This Winning Moves edition keeps the classic look and costs about $23.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $23) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Sorry vs Aggravation at a glance
| Sorry | Aggravation | |
|---|---|---|
| How you move | Draw a card | Roll one die |
| Players | 2 to 4 | 2 to 6 |
| Box age | 6+ | 6+ |
| Pieces | Pawns | Marbles |
| Getting out of start | A 1, a 2 or a Sorry card | A roll of 1 or 6 |
| Sending someone back | Land on them, or play a Sorry card | Land on them by exact count |
| Shortcuts | Slides along the edges | Star holes in the corners and a center hole |
| Safe area | Five-square Safety Zone before Home | Home row; no captures in Base or Home |
| Price | about $23 | about $23 |
How Sorry plays
Each player starts with pawns in their Start circle. On your turn you draw the top card and do what it says. A 1 or a 2 can bring a pawn out of Start, a 4 moves a pawn backward, a 7 can be split between two pawns, a 10 moves forward ten or back one, and an 11 lets you move eleven or swap places with an opponent. The Sorry card lets you take a pawn from Start and put it on any opponent’s pawn, bumping that pawn back to its Start.
Stop on the start of a slide in another color and you zip to the end, knocking off any pawns along the way. The last five squares before your Home are a Safety Zone that only your pawns can enter, and you need the exact count to finish. The first player with every pawn Home wins. Our full guide to how to play Sorry lists every card.
How Aggravation plays
Aggravation swaps the cards for one die and the pawns for marbles. Each player has four marbles in their Base and needs a 1 or a 6 to move one onto the track. A 6 also gives you another roll. You can jump over other marbles, but if you land on an opponent by exact count, that marble is “aggravated” and goes back to its Base. You can never jump or land on your own marble.
The board adds shortcuts. The star holes near each corner connect to one another, so a marble that lands on one can hop around the board in big steps. The center hole is the riskiest shortcut of all: it can carry a marble most of the way home, but in the standard rules you can only leave it on a roll of 1. That gamble is the main decision in the game.
The real difference: cards vs dice
- Sorry gives you more choices. A 7 can be split, an 11 can switch places, and you choose which pawn takes the move. Even young players feel like they are deciding something.
- Aggravation is more of a pure race. One die means fewer options each turn, but the shortcuts add a push-your-luck moment every time a marble is near the center.
- Sorry is meaner by design. The Sorry card targets a specific person, which is either the best or worst part depending on your family.
- Aggravation seats more people. With six players it fits a bigger family gathering, which Sorry cannot do.
Which is better for young kids?
Both boxes say 6 and up. Sorry is easier for a six-year-old to follow, because each card tells them what to do and there are no shortcut rules to remember. Aggravation’s star holes and center hole take a game or two to click. Loose marbles can also roll away when someone bumps the board, so it is less friendly to small hands and wobbly tables.
Which is better for a big group?
Aggravation, easily. Sorry stops at four players, while Aggravation handles up to six. If you regularly play with five or six people, it is the better buy. For four or fewer, Sorry usually gives the more interesting game.
How do they compare with Trouble?
Trouble is the third member of this family. It also races four pieces home, but it uses a Pop-O-Matic die bubble and stops at four players. If you are choosing between all three, see our Sorry vs Trouble comparison and the Trouble rules.
Our verdict: Sorry or Aggravation
Buy Sorry if you play with two to four people, have kids around six or seven, or like a game where each turn has a small choice. Buy Aggravation if you need room for five or six players or prefer a quick dice race with risky shortcuts. If you want the current Hasbro box instead of the retro one, Hasbro’s Sorry costs about $22.
Sorry vs Aggravation FAQ
Is Aggravation the same as Sorry?
No. Both send four pieces home and let you bump opponents back to start, but Sorry uses cards with special actions and Aggravation uses one die, marbles and board shortcuts.
How many people can play Aggravation?
The Winning Moves edition is for 2 to 6 players, ages 6 and up.
What do you need to roll to get out in Aggravation?
A 1 or a 6. A 6 also gives you another roll.
Which is more strategic, Sorry or Aggravation?
Sorry has more choices each turn because the cards let you split moves and switch places. Aggravation’s main decision is whether to risk the center shortcut.
