Controls

You play by rolling and moving a marble. Tap to roll, then choose which marble to advance by the number shown. The game shows which marbles can legally move.

The board's shortcuts and bumps drive the strategy:

• Bumping happens when you land on an enemy marble, sending it all the way back to its base. This is the game's namesake aggravation and a key way to slow rivals down.
• Shortcuts come in two forms: star holes that let a marble hop onto a faster route, and the center hole, a quick but risky gamble that you can only exit by rolling a specific number.

You need to roll a 1 or a 6 to bring a marble out of its base and into play.

The first player to get all their marbles home wins. Against the computer, the difficulty rises across eight levels.

Tips

• Use the star holes to gain ground. The star shortcuts let a marble skip ahead on a faster track, so taking them when they're available can move a marble toward home much quicker than the long way around.
• Gamble on the center hole carefully. The center offers a fast crossing but you can only leave it on a specific roll, so use it when the shortcut is worth the risk of getting stuck waiting.
• Bump rivals when it pays off. Sending an enemy marble back to base is a huge setback for them, so look for chances to land on their marbles, especially ones close to home.
• Keep marbles out of easy bumping range. An exposed marble is a target, so avoid parking one right where a rival's likely roll can land on it, or you'll suffer the game's namesake aggravation yourself.
• Get marbles out early. Since you need a 1 or 6 to leave base, bring marbles into play whenever you roll one, so you're not left with everything stuck at the start.
• Spread your marbles around. Advancing several marbles rather than one keeps your race resilient, since a single bump can't wipe out all your progress.

Frequently asked questions