Edition: The Danish board game Partners for 4 players in two teams, with the game's own movement cards. Last checked October 25, 2026
Partners Board Game Rules: How to Play
Partners is a Danish team game where you play cards to move your pieces around the board and into your finish zone. You play two against two and help your partner along. If you know Sorry!, Aggravation or the Canadian game Tock, it will feel familiar. Here are the rules in short, plus answers to the points that often cause debate.
- Players
- 4, in two teams of two
- Age
- 8 and up
- Playing time
- 45 to 60 minutes
How to win: The first team to get all 8 pieces into their finish zones wins. Both partners have to be done.
Who is right?
The classic arguments at the table when you play Partners.
Can you send your partner's piece home?
Yes.
If you land on your partner's piece, it is sent home just like an opponent's piece. Sometimes it even helps the team.
Many families agree before starting that you never send your partner home.
Can you pass a piece sitting on its start space?
No.
A piece on its own start space is a block, and no other piece can pass it, not even your partner's.
Some let partner pieces pass the block.
Do you need an exact count to reach the finish?
It depends on the rulebook.
If a piece goes too far into the finish zone, the extra spaces count backward. Some rulebooks and game sites say instead that you need the exact number to finish.
Many play that you need an exact count, or the card cannot be used on that piece.
Can you use the rest of a 7 on your partner's piece?
Yes, if your last pieces reach the finish.
If your last pieces can finish using fewer than 7 spaces, the rest may be used on your partner's pieces.
Some let the remainder go to your partner even if you are not done.
Can you show your partner your cards or talk about them?
No.
Cards stay hidden from everyone, including your partner. The card swap is the team's only way to help each other until one of you is done.
With kids, some families allow partners to look at each other's cards.
What you need
- Game board
- 4 pieces in each of 4 colors
- Movement cards
Setup
- 1Play in two teams, with partners sitting across from each other.
- 2Each player puts their 4 pieces in their home area.
- 3Choose a dealer, who shuffles and deals 4 cards to each player.
- 4Before the round, each player swaps one card with their partner, face down and without discussing it.
How to play
- 1Play goes clockwise. On your turn, play one card and move according to it.
- 2To bring a piece out of your home area onto your start space, you need a heart card.
- 3Number cards move one of your pieces forward that many spaces.
- 4If you land on a space with a single other piece, that piece is sent home. This also applies to your partner's pieces.
- 5A piece sitting on its own start space blocks the track, and no one can pass it.
- 6Pieces must enter the finish zone and cannot jump over other pieces inside it.
- 7If you cannot use any of your cards, lay them all down and wait for the next deal.
- 8When all cards have been played, deal 4 new cards and swap one card with your partner again.
- 9Once all your pieces are home in the finish zone, use your cards to move your partner's pieces.
The cards
- Heart: moves a piece from your home area onto your start space.
- Heart with 8 or 13: either bring a piece out, or move a piece forward 8 or 13 spaces. Not both.
- 1 or 14: move a piece either 1 or 14 spaces forward.
- Back 4: move a piece 4 spaces backward. Useful for reaching the finish zone quickly. Cannot be used on pieces in the finish zone.
- 7: split the 7 spaces among your pieces. All 7 spaces must be used.
- Switch card: two pieces on the board swap places. Pieces in the finish zone or in a home area cannot be switched.
- Other number cards: move a piece forward the number of spaces shown.
House rules
Pick the rules you want to play with tonight. Everyone at the table has to agree.
Our Partners rules for tonight
Everything else follows the official rules.
Frequently asked questions
How many people can play Partners?
Partners is played by 4 people in two teams of two. Partners sit across from each other.
What do you do when you cannot play a card?
Lay all your cards down without moving and wait for the next deal.
Can you play Partners with regular playing cards?
There are folk versions played with regular playing cards, where the cards mean something else. The rules here are for the Partners board game with its own cards.
Source: The publisher's rulebook and common Danish family tradition. The rules are written in our own words. Ask the referee if you are unsure.