Apologies

by synexmedia.com Family Entertainment

Rules & Instructions

Game Overview

Apologies is a competitive board game where up to four players race their pieces around the board. Your goal is to guide all four of your pawns from the starting area, around the outer track, and safely into your home base. Along the way, you can knock opponents back to the beginning, creating an exciting mix of strategy and chance.

Objective

Win by being the first to get all four of your pawns safely into your Home zone.

How to Play

Draw a Card: Press the "Draw Card" button to pick a card from the deck.
Select a Pawn: Tap any of your glowing pawns that have a legal move available.
Choose Destination: Tap a glowing space to move your selected pawn to that location.
End Turn: Once you move, your turn finishes automatically (except when drawing a 2).

When no legal moves exist for your drawn card, your turn passes to the next player.

The Board

Main Track: A shared path of 60 spaces forming the outer edge. All pawns travel clockwise.
Start Area: Each player's four pawns begin here. Only cards showing 1, 2, or Apologies! can bring a pawn onto the track.
Safety Zone: A protected colored corridor leading to Home. Only pawns matching that color may enter, and they cannot be attacked here.
Home: Your final destination. Once a pawn arrives, it remains there for good.
Slides: Marked pathways on the track. When you land precisely on another color's slide entrance, you zoom to the far end, sending any pawns in your path back to their Start.

Card Reference

Card	Action
1	Bring a pawn onto the track from Start, OR advance any pawn by 1 space
2	Bring a pawn onto the track from Start, OR advance any pawn by 2 spaces. Take another turn!
3	Advance any pawn by 3 spaces
4	Move any pawn BACKWARD by 4 spaces
5	Advance any pawn by 5 spaces
7	Advance one pawn by 7 spaces, OR divide the movement between two different pawns (such as 3+4, 2+5, or 1+6)
8	Advance any pawn by 8 spaces
10	Advance any pawn by 10 spaces, OR move any pawn backward by 1 space
11	Advance any pawn by 11 spaces, OR trade places with any opponent's pawn on the main track
12	Advance any pawn by 12 spaces
Apologies!	Move one of your pawns from Start directly onto any opponent's pawn on the main track. That opponent's pawn returns to their Start. Requires having a pawn in your Start AND an opponent pawn on the track.

Bumping

When your pawn lands on a space containing an opponent's pawn, you send their piece back to their Start area. This is called bumping. Note that you cannot land on or bump your own pawns.

Slides

Two slides appear on each side of the board, color-coded to match each player. When you land exactly on the triangle marking the beginning of a slide belonging to a different color:

Your pawn glides all the way to the slide's end
Every pawn along that slide path gets sent back to Start, including your own other pawns

Slides matching your own color have no effect - your pawn simply stops there.

Safety Zone & Home

Each Safety Zone accepts only pawns of its matching color
Pawns inside a Safety Zone are completely protected from bumping or swapping
Entering Home requires an exact count - going past is not allowed
Pawns that reach Home are finished and stay there permanently

Special Rules

Card 2 - Extra Turn: After using a 2 card, draw again and continue playing.
Card 7 - Dividing Movement: The total of 7 spaces can be shared between two pawns. Each portion must result in a valid landing spot.
Card 11 - Position Exchange: Instead of moving forward, you may swap locations with an opponent's piece on the main track. Their pawn takes your spot while yours takes theirs. Pieces in Start, Safety, or Home cannot be swapped.
Reverse Movement: The 4 card always moves backward, while the 10 card offers a choice to retreat 1 space. Moving backward can help avoid hazards or reposition strategically.

Winning

Victory goes to whoever successfully moves all four pawns into their Home zone first.

Strategy Guide

Beginner Tips

Deploy multiple pawns: The more pieces you have on the board, the greater your choices each turn.
Spread your pieces: Clustering pawns together makes them vulnerable to a single devastating attack.
Seek protection: Pawns in your Safety Zone are immune to attack. Make reaching safety a priority when practical.
Know the slides: Memorize where opponent slides begin - triggering one can dramatically shift the game.

Intermediate Strategies

Offensive Play

Hunt the leaders: Prioritize attacking pawns that have traveled furthest toward their Home.
Plan slide landings: Calculate your moves to intentionally trigger opponent slides for maximum disruption.
Hold your Apologies! cards: These become far more powerful when opponents have pawns deep in their journey.
Strategic swapping: Use the 11 card to exchange with a well-positioned opponent, gaining their progress while stranding them.

Defensive Play

Steer clear of slide paths: Parking pawns on or near opponent slides invites disaster.
Embrace reverse movement: The backward options on 4 and 10 cards can relocate you to safer territory.
Rush into Safety: Once near your Safety Zone entrance, get inside without delay.

Advanced Tactics

Maximizing the 7 Card

This card offers unmatched flexibility. Consider these approaches:

Complete and continue: Send one pawn Home while advancing another with the remaining movement.
Multiple attacks: Divide the 7 to bump two separate opponents in a single turn.
Perfect positioning: Place two pawns at ideal distances for upcoming cards.

Board Control

Guard entry points: Stationing pawns near opponent Start exits lets you immediately bump emerging pieces.
Dominate slide entrances: Pieces positioned near slide starts create threatening zones across the board.
Practice counting: Quickly calculating distances helps you spot every opportunity before committing to a move.

Tracking Cards

Understanding the deck composition gives you an edge:

The deck has five 1s, four each of 2 through 12, and four Apologies! cards (45 total)
Pay attention to which powerful cards (Apologies!, 11s, 7s) have already appeared
When most 1s and 2s have been played, opponents will have difficulty bringing new pawns onto the track

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Over-investing in one pawn: Advancing a single piece leaves you devastated if it gets sent back.
Dismissing backward movement: The 4 card appears weak but offers valuable repositioning opportunities.
Premature Apologies! usage: Targeting pawns fresh out of Start wastes your most powerful card - aim for advanced pieces.
Overlooking slide dangers: Before moving, always verify your destination won't leave you exposed on a slide path.
Always moving 7 spaces with one pawn: Splitting frequently produces superior results compared to a single long move.

Endgame Strategy

Precision is essential: Pawns in the Safety Zone need exact card values to reach Home. Think several moves ahead.
Diversify distances: Position pawns at varying distances from Home so different cards can complete them.
Lead cautiously: When ahead, adopt a defensive stance and let rivals attack each other.
Bold moves when trailing: If behind, embrace risky swaps and aggressive plays to catch up.

Quick Reference - Optimal Cards

Situation	Ideal Cards
Leaving Start	1, 2, Apologies!
Attacking opponents	Apologies!, 7 (divided), 11 (exchange)
Reaching Safety Zone	Varies by distance - calculate precisely
Completing the journey Home	Lower values (1-5) for accurate landing
Retreating from danger	4 (reverse), 10 (reverse option)