Enter your name to start playing:
You'll be playing against (clockwise):
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.
Win by being the first to get all four of your pawns safely into your Home zone.
When no legal moves exist for your drawn card, your turn passes to the next player.
| 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. |
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.
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:
Slides matching your own color have no effect - your pawn simply stops there.
Victory goes to whoever successfully moves all four pawns into their Home zone first.
This card offers unmatched flexibility. Consider these approaches:
Understanding the deck composition gives you an edge:
| 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) |