Family Game Rules

Board games

Rules in plain words for 5 board games: Backgammon, Checkers, Mancala, Sorry and Trouble. Each has a printable rule sheet and a scorekeeper.

A hand moving a green pawn along a painted wooden game board with a winding track of colored squares.

Board games

What you need to play

Each board game needs the game itself. These are the pieces each one lists.

  • Backgammon needs a backgammon board, 15 checkers for each player, two dice for each player, a dice cup each and a doubling cube.
  • Checkers needs a checkerboard of 8 by 8 squares and 24 pieces, 12 in each of two colors.
  • Mancala needs a mancala board with 12 small pits and 2 stores, and 48 stones.
  • Sorry needs a Sorry board, 4 pawns in each of 4 colors and the deck of 45 Sorry cards.
  • Trouble needs the board with its Pop-O-Matic die roller, and 16 pegs, 4 in each of 4 colors.

Choosing a board game

  • Backgammon, Checkers and Mancala are for 2 players. Sorry and Trouble are for 2 to 4.
  • By the ages the pages state, Trouble is for 5 and up, Sorry for 6 and up and Mancala for 7 and up.
  • By stated playing time, Mancala takes about 10 minutes, Backgammon about 15 minutes a game, Checkers usually 10 to 30 minutes for a casual game, Trouble about 30 minutes and Sorry about 30 to 60 minutes.

Questions

What board games can 2 people play?

Backgammon, Checkers and Mancala are for exactly 2 players. Sorry and Trouble are for 2 to 4 players. In Trouble with 2 players, each player may use two colors.

What board games can 4 people play?

Sorry and Trouble are for 2 to 4 players. Sorry can also be played in 2 teams, with Red and Yellow as partners and Green and Blue as partners.

Can more than 2 people play Backgammon?

The main game is for 2 players. The Backgammon page also describes the chouette for 3 or more, where one player, called the box, plays against everyone else as a team.

Can you play Sorry by yourself?

Sorry is for 2 to 4 players. Its page describes Patience Sorry, a puzzle for 1 player. You move 4 red pawns and 4 yellow pawns and try to reach a set position without failing.

Which board games suit young children?

By the ages the pages state, Trouble is for 5 and up, Sorry is for 6 and up and Mancala is for 7 and up.

How long does a board game take?

Mancala takes about 10 minutes and Backgammon about 15 minutes a game. Checkers usually takes 10 to 30 minutes, Trouble about 30 minutes and Sorry about 30 to 60 minutes.