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 (child 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! Back to Table of Contents -- Game! # 7 To Game! List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2004 by George Phillies. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com