Marralhinha

Marralhinha is a traditional game from the Azores Islands that is played with dice and marbles, much like the games Aggravation, Fast Track, and Wahoo. This adaptation of the commonly known game of Aggravation/Fast Track/Wahoo is called Marralhinha which is widely played in the Azores Islands - Portugal. This version uses 5 marbles instead of 4 marbles and the board itself is cross-shaped and made out of 2 pieces of wood. It's a game for 4 players (one in each end of the cross) but recently, due to its popularity as a pub/café game, a new version for 6 people was invented. Its origin is not entirely known but older people in the Azores say they remember a cardboard game American soldiers used to have and play in the 60's. Then locals tried to copy and adapt it with wood and marbles, resulting in a new game with different rules. Families and enthusiasts of Marralhinha will gather around the dining table or at the village community center to play or compete with several teams.