Game: Slamwich

Thread: No slapping. Just shout-outs.

pixel8 — 2008-08-26T07:06:15+00:00

Having experienced past games eg. SNAP, I thought it was more fair to have shout-outs instead of hand slapping, due to the player flipping the card, having the most advantage (hand nearest to the deck). Furthermore, shout-outs can be quite a tongue twister... having to say SNAP or STOP THIEF.

Secondly, thought snapping would preserve the cards ie. reduce card bending accidents.

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dsmeyer — 2008-01-27T17:44:19+00:00

Peanut Butter and Jelly.

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dsmeyer — 2008-01-27T17:43:52+00:00

A nice BLT.

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dsmeyer — 2008-01-27T17:43:21+00:00

Box and Interior of box.

Thread: BODY SLAMWICH!

ccarlet1 — 2007-12-27T01:11:15+00:00

Slamwich is a kid's game with cards shaped like slices of bread. You take turns laying them on a central pile, and whenever there is a pair of like cards, or a pair with only one intervening card, you try to be the first to slam the pile. If someone plays a thief card, you do the same but yell out "Stop Thief."

The first person to "slam" the pile gets to keep it, so like the old card game War, the first person to accumulate all the cards, or the most cards in a given time period, is the winner.

Six of us played this game on Christmas Day. We were at the end of a large dining room table, so we had to agree on where the pile would be so it was within everyone's reach. Two of the players were 9 and 6 so they had quite a reach.

As we were laying down the cards, we made some pretty strange sandwiches: sardines and birthday cake; drumsticks and gummy worms with ketchup and mustard, packets included; French Toast and meatballs. We were playing the special edition that comes in the tin lunchbox, so it has different artwork than the original game.

The kids had no problem learning the game and had a lot of fun. We did have a little confusion about the Munchers--which are a similar mechanism to the tie in War--but we soon had them figured out.

The biggest problem was everyone trying to reach the central pile, but my 6 year old brother-in-law, Darren, came up with a brilliant solution about halfway into the game. In order to reach the pile he was sitting on his haunches on the chair, so the next time there was a doulble decker, he leapt out of his chair and BODY SLAM!

He landed right on top of his dad's and and sister's hands. A little too late, but I had to admire his eagerness.

This was our second session and the adults, while enjoying it, got beat by the enthusiasm of the kids, and soon it was only them left. They didn't platy right until the bitter end, but opted for a time limit instead.

Despite the body slam, Darren had fewer cards in the end than his brother Daniel.

Slamwich was fun, and good for kids developing hand to eye co-ordination and pattern recognition. All the adults seemed to enjoy it too, so I think it is a pretty good choice for a kid's game. Not only that, but ir made for some very creative snadwiches.

Thread: Re: Slamwich - A general perspective

unixrevolution — 2007-08-22T12:11:44+00:00

That does indeed clear it up, thanks

Thread: Re: Slamwich - A general perspective

Ratio — 2007-08-22T02:20:54+00:00

unixrevolution wrote:
Nice review. It wasn't mentioned explicitly, but i'm guessing:

Endgame is when player's piles are empty.

Score is the number of discards you've grabbed over course of the game.

Is that correct?

Thanks for the compliment.

The game ends when one player has collected all the cards in the game, and the other player has run out of cards to play during his or her turn. Discarded cards that you collect are placed at the bottom of your deck in hand, and will be re-used during the game.

Hope that clears things up? If it does, I will edit my review to include this point. Thanks for pointing it out.

Thread: Re: Slamwich - A general perspective

unixrevolution — 2007-08-21T16:38:11+00:00

Nice review. It wasn't mentioned explicitly, but i'm guessing:

Endgame is when player's piles are empty.

Score is the number of discards you've grabbed over course of the game.

Is that correct?

Thread: Slamwich - A general perspective

Ratio — 2007-08-21T14:11:08+00:00

SLAMWICH – A REVIEW

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Front box cover (image uploaded by EJKemp)

Overview:
Slamwich is a 2-player game where victory hinges on the greed and quickness of each player’s hands. Well...ok, I was kidding about the greed, though quick hands are undoubtedly a significant part of gameplay. The game ends when one player has collected all the cards in the game--and is declared the winner--and the other player has run out of cards to play during his or her turn. Cards are obtained by snapping them when certain conditions are met (more of that in the next section). Any discarded cards that a player collects are placed at the bottom of his or her deck in hand, and will be re-used during the game.

Flow of Play:
The deck of 55 cards in Slamwich consists of 3 card types: "Ingredient", "Thief" and "Muncher" cards. At the start of the game, the entire deck is shuffled and the cards dealt equally between both players face-down; the odd card will be placed face-up in the middle of the table, representing the first card of the discard pile. Each player takes the top card from his or her pile and places it face-up on top of the discard pile, one after another. Players can snap and collect the cards in the discard pile when any of the following conditions occur which basically forms a "Slamwich":

"Double Decker" – two "Muncher" cards, or "Ingredient" cards with the exact same ingredients, are discarded in a row.

"Slamwich" – two "Ingredient" cards with the exact same ingredients are separated by only one other "Ingredient" card.

"Thief" – when a "Thief" card is played. "Thief" cards have images of masked burglars holding a sandwich in their hands. Players have to call "Stop Thief!" in this case as they snap, or their snap will not be valid.

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"Muncher" cards (image uploaded by EndersGame)

In Slamwich, "Muncher" cards are a bit more unique. If a player discards a "Muncher" card, the opposing player has to discard a number of cards that is equal to the number on the "Muncher" card. If there are no “Slamwich” opportunities, the “Munching” player gets to keep all the cards in the discard pile. However, players can snap as per normal play if any one of the above “Slamwich” conditions are met during the opposing player’s discards.

Luck-Skill Balance:
The primary skill involved in Slamwich is the ability to recognize patterns, while the luck factor revolves around the draw of the cards from each deck, and the quickness of each player’s reflexes once the conditions for a Slamwich have been reached.

Rules Book – Layout & Complexity:
The rules book is very short and concise so it is very easy to understand the game from a few reads of it at the most. There will be some need to refer back to it during the first 2 or 3 plays to ensure that the rules for making a “Slamwich” are fully understood.

Components:

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"Ingredient" cards (image uploaded by EndersGame)

The card material is of mediocre quality and could be made of harder stock, in consideration of the intensive use these cards will be prone to in the game. The fact that the cards are cut into the shape of sandwich slices certainly makes Slamwich a visually appealing game but this in turn brings a headache for players who are looking to obtain sleeves to increase their durability.

My Thoughts:
This game can be quite intense as players keep their eyes peeled on the discard pile. On the practical side, the weird shapes of the cards can make it harder to gather them up in one's hand, especially when a player has just won all the cards in a relatively-packed discard pile. Not collecting the cards so that all of them face the same direction may lead to increased wear and tear on the cards if they are not arranged properly and held carelessly in one's hand during games. Gameplay is generally short at about 30 minutes per round, though more time will be required if the advantage persistently swings from one player to the other.

To conclude, Slamwich is highly recommended for friends who are looking to have a great gameplay experience within a short span of time, or party gamers who are looking to add to their range of ready-to-play-anytime games.

EDIT: Added captions for pictures, and clarification from query (see following posts).

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holepuncher — 2007-03-28T03:34:36+00:00

Updated cards from tin version. Foil on 3 cards.

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ArtEmiSa64 — 2007-03-05T23:58:57+00:00

Collerctor's Edition - permission by http://www.gamewright.com

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ArtEmiSa64 — 2007-03-05T23:57:51+00:00

standard version - permission by http://www.gamewright.com

Thread: Slamwich - A Light Review

Neil Thomson — 2007-01-03T14:30:56+00:00

All of my reviews aim to offer a brief overview that allows people to get a good feel for what the game may offer them. I feel that other reviews can be sought if detailed game mechanics is what you are after.

As this is a game based on educational principles I am also able to draw on my experience as a primary school teacher (Australia) when reviewing them. I hope you find this insight useful.

Slamwich is a modern day version of the classic snap but it succeeds in taking the base concept and turning it on its head. The end goal is still the same – be the first player to take all the cards by snapping or should I say slamwiching them and leave your opponents with nothing. The difference though is in how you can snare the cards and this is where the action is.

The first thing you notice about Slamwich is that the game is dripping with theme and this really adds to the fun. The cards come in the shape of bread and instead of the cards using numbers, they depict all manner of toppings found on a sandwich. The game begins by dividing the deck evenly amongst the players and play precedes much like classic snap.

Cards can be won by snapping 2 identical ingredients when they are placed on top of each other. This is called a double decker. Another way to win cards is to snap them when 2 identical cards are only separated by 1 other ingredient. This is called a slamwich and takes a little more concentration to identify.

The deck then consists of additional cards in the form of munchers and thieves. The muncher cards show a person eating a sandwich and they also have a number 1, 2 or 3. When a player plays a muncher they have the chance to win all the cards on the pile. But the player to the left has a chance to stop them. They are allowed to play a number of cards from their pile equal to the number on the muncher card. If they can create a double decker, slamwich or produce another muncher or thief they will stop the last player from munching through the pile.

However all players are still in a race to snap the new combo if one exists. If none of the above occurs then the player who played the muncher wins the pile and adds it to their hand. The thief cards are more straightforward but just as effective. When someone plays a thief it is a race to snap the pile and call out Stop Thief! If this is done the player will win the pile, but if a player snaps and forgets to say Stop Thief! The pile will go to the first player to say it. The play continues in this fashion until one player owns the whole sandwich.

The Final Word

Slamwich is certainly one of the more effective games on the market to combine good game play and a theme that actually means something. So many games on the market just tack a theme onto a set of rules for illustrations sake, but in Slamwich the theme is the game and it adds to the fun factor.

This I suspect helped it to win a major award. Another reason why it is a winner is that every child I have come across can play snap – they understand the game. This allows children to pick up Slamwich and begin playing very quickly as they have that familiarity. All in all I can’t recommend this game highly enough.

Thread: Variant: 20-minute Slamwich

bwingrave — 2006-12-27T16:05:52+00:00

Variant: Set a timer for 20 minutes before starting the game. When the timer sounds, the player with the most cards wins.

This variant is designed to fix the will-it-ever-end problem with this game. I would recommend using the variant every time. My nephew resisted cutting the game off before the bitter end; had we used a timer the first time, he might not have expected the game to go until everyone else was eliminated.

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jack208 — 2006-10-01T14:26:07+00:00

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jack208 — 2006-09-30T21:31:56+00:00

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jack208 — 2006-09-30T20:36:59+00:00

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jack208 — 2006-09-30T20:36:57+00:00

Thread: Re: User Review

EverywhereGames — 2006-04-19T07:12:59+00:00

Thank you! I just picked up this game at the local Value Village and the instruction sheet is missing about 3/4 of it. I'm glad you posted the link to this .PDF!

Thread: Session Report

seppo21 — 2005-02-24T22:07:12+00:00

Second Game: Slamwich

After playing several rounds of Tic Tac Chec I agreed to play something a little easier. This is one that we played a while back that she seemed to enjoy. Slamwich is basically the standard deck card game I've always referred to as Slaps. However, this is played with a custom deck of cards with the cards representing various sandwich ingredients. The entire deck is dealt out and each player in turn flips a card up in the middle of the table. When certain patterns are formed, such as the same ingredient twice in a row, the first player to slap the stack get to place the cards under their current stack. Play continues until only one player has cards remaining. To make life more interesting, there are also thief cards, which allow anyone to slap the pile, and muncher cards, which require additional cards to be played on top of them. If the correct pattern occurs, anyone can slap. Otherwise, the person who played the muncher gets to take the stack. However, if a muncher is played on a muncher, the right to receive the cards passes to that player. We simplify the game by not playing with the muncher cards.

In our first game, I Grace's 2 year old sister, Hope, also wanted to join us. I also talked my wife Christine into a game. It went along pretty well. A couple of times, we helped Hope to slap the pile. However, Christine got no mercy. Grace, however, did manage to slap a couple of piles on her own. In the end, Hope and Christine went out pretty quickly. Grace stayed in for a while but was so much more interested in laughing at my slapping the cards, that she had no chance to remain.

In the second game, only Hope wanted to play. Since it was only her, I allowed her to take several stacks she would not otherwise have won. This allowed the game to last longer than it really should have. I just needed to be careful that I was able to slap some cards as well, so I wouldn't run out. At any rate, she also preferred to laugh at me slapping the card than to actually slap herself, so I stopped letting her get freebies. The game ended shortly after.

Final Result:

Stephen -- 2 wins

Sure, I "won" but that is not really the point. The point is just to play and have a good time. For my girls, it seems that having a good time with this game means watching daddy slap the cards and then giggling hysterically. Oh, well, I suppose it could be worse. At least they claim to like this one. Total playing time was about 15 minutes.

Thread: Quick Comments

Liacus — 2005-02-23T03:05:31+00:00

Slamwich is a recent acquisition for my family (a mom, a dad, and twin 5-year-olds), won as part of a charity auction. This game is a big hit with my kids, who have just enough of a dexterity edge that they can compete effectively with the adults.

The pattern recognition aspect of the game is pretty simple; I doubt a group of adults would find much enjoyment in the game, but as a game that can bridge the generation gap (at least with very young kids) I find this a particularly enjoyable one.

Thread: Re:User Review

Alvy514 — 2004-12-28T22:03:34+00:00

bwechner (#64069),

Hi there, I also got this game a thrift store. It too was missing the instructions however, i have found them in a PDF on the publishers webpage.
Here is the link: Hope this helps out

http://www.gamewright.com/gamewright/pdfs/Rules/Slamwich-RUL...

Thread: Re:User Review

bwechner — 2004-11-07T10:30:53+00:00

TomVasel (#18163),

We just bought this at a garage sale. It's missing the rules though. Your article helped enormously. Thanks! We're also missing a few cards, but that won't matter really. All the same, I'll probably scan them and make up the missing ones (no whole set is missing).

On which subject, would you mind scanning the rules and posting them as PDF say. There'd be a geek gold in it for what it's worth, but it would make a nice resource completion for this game's page, for folk like us.

Thread: Gamewright at Target

Tallyhoyall — 2004-08-03T22:12:24+00:00

Saw them today Rat-a-tat, Slamwich, Hocus Focus, Wig Out, could be more.....for $4.99. slighty different packaging

Thread: User Review

TomVasel — 2003-08-14T13:23:55+00:00

My friend Sam likes to eat what he calls a "Dagwood". This is a sandwich that is comprised of pretty much everything he can find in the refrigerator and beyond. The card game Slamwich (Gamewright, 1997 – Ann and Monty Stambler) recreates these sandwiches in a fluffy little game that is presented for both children and adults.

So is Slamwich worth your time? The short answer is that this game really shines when played with adults and children. If only adults are playing, it's fairly safe to pass this game up, but if children are included – the fun rises quite a bit. Let me explain a bit…

First, an explanation of game play…

There are fifty-five cards in the deck of cards (which is die cut to resemble slices of bread). Forty-four of the cards have different pictures of food on them- 4 each of eleven different kinds (lettuce, eggs, onions, bacon, jelly, peanut butter, cheese, sausage, tomatoes, bacon, pickles, and peppers). Three of the cards – thief cards – show a picture of a running person. The remaining eight cards are called "Muncher" cards and have a number from 1-3 on them and a picture of a person munching a sandwich. The dealer shuffles the deck and deals it out to evenly to all the players. Each player takes their cards and forms a draw pile face-down in front of them on the table. The player to the left of the dealer goes first, with each player taking their turn in a clock-wise order.

On a turn, a player flips the top card of their pile over and immediately tosses it onto a pile in the middle. All players watch the pile and must slap it if they see one of the following things…

1). Double Decker – two of the exact same ingredients in a row.
2). Slamwich – two of the exact same ingredients separated by only one other ingredient.
3). Thief – if a thief card is played.

Whenever a player is the first to slap the middle of the table at a correct time. They take all the cards that are currently in the pile in the middle of the table, adding them to the bottom of their own pile.

If a "Muncher" card is played, the next player must play the amount of cards shown on the "Muncher" card. If that player plays a double decker, Slamwich, or a thief card, the muncher is "stopped", and players slap the middle pile as normal. If one of these combinations is not played, the person who played the muncher gets all the cards in
the middle of the table. If another muncher is played, then the second muncher cancels the first.

When a player runs out of cards, they are out of the game. The last person who has cards remaining is the winner!

Some comments on the game…

1). Components: Slamwich is sold two different ways. One comes in a normal box of cards that nicely holds the deck, while the other is a nice plush carrying case for the deck. I don't think it matters much, but some people might want the travel case. The deck of cards is fantastic. They didn't have to be cut into slices of bread for the
game to work – but it adds quite a bit to the game. The artwork is also pretty nice on the cards, and I find myself wanting to make myself a nice sandwich after a game is over. Box art is nice, and the entire game looks fairly nice on my game shelf.

2). Rules: The rules are extremely easy to learn and teach. They are printed on both sides of a single sheet of paper, with some illustrations and examples to use. I find that the game is easier to teach (especially to children) if the "munchers" are left out of initial game play. This is mentioned in the rules, and I found that it's usually better to add the "munchers" in the second game.

3). Strategy: There is none. It's all luck, on which cards are thrown into the middle. So there is no strategy, the game depends on hand-eye coordination and speed. Does that give children an advantage – it surely does! This is why I enjoy brining the game out to play with kids, because they can really whoop up on me, and I have to try hard to hold my own in the game.

4). Kids and the Fun Factor: The authors (children psychiatrists)
claim that the game is a learning game, helping children to recognize series, make combinations, and anticipating what will happen. That all may be true. I usually shy from learning games if they aren't fun, however. But children really love this game. Adults probably wouldn't have quite the same amount of fun, especially slower thinkers. However, children will scream with laughter as they quickly try to be the first to slap the middle pile.

5). Cheater, cheater: It's easy to cheat in the game. When a player flips their card over, they can do so in a way where only they can see the card, giving them an unfair advantage. This must be watched and stopped. If a player slaps the pile when there's no reason to do so, the player must lose a card from their pile. If players see a player
flipping their card incorrectly, they could impose the same penalty, otherwise the game could be ruined.

So I would recommend the game, but only if you are going to play it with children. With adults, it might provide a very slightly pleasant diversion, but the lack of strategy and control over the game would turn a lot of people off. If you don't care about things like that, and want to test your speed, then this is a good game for you. If you don't like getting your hand slapped, or watching a seven year old take card after card, then avoid this game. But if you have excited, happy children – then this game will make a great addition to your collection!

Tom Vasel