Slambo!
Slambo! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Start Card (Hakkeyoi, Nokotta!)
- 9 Shame Cards (Haji!)
- 17 Number Cards (9 blue, 8 red)
- 6 Special Cards
- 4 Player Aids
Setup
- Place the start card in the middle with the 0-10 side up.
- Place 1 shame card next to the start card. Set the rest to the side as the supply.
- Give each player a player aid. Shuffle the number cards (only add the special cards with 3+ players). Deal each player a starting hand (see table). Set aside the leftover cards facedown.
- Choose a random player to go first.
| Players | Cards in Deck | Starting Hand |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 17 (remove 6 special cards) | 7 |
| 3 | 23 (add 6 special cards) | 6 |
| 4 | 23 (add 6 special cards) | 5 |
Play!
SLAMBO! is usually a 2-player game. For the 3-4 player variant, see the end of the rules.
The game is played in rounds called bouts. During a bout, you and your opponent take turns playing 1 card at a time faceup onto a pile in the middle.
The start card is always the first card in the pile. The number 5 is the starting balance total. Each card raises or lowers the balance total by the number printed on it. Blue cards raise the balance total, and red cards lower it. Only the top card on the pile should be visible.
Each time you play a card, figure out the new balance total and shout it out. If the new balance is above 10 or below 0, your opponent shouts SLAMBO! and you lose the bout.
Example: Player 1 starts the bout with a blue 4 and shouts: "9!" Player 2 follows with a red -7 and shouts: "2!"
Hakkeyoi, Nokotta! Sumo referees shout Nokotta! (remaining!) to let wrestlers know they're still in the ring and the match isn't over. Hakkeyoi! (come on!) is used when the action has stalled.
SLAMBO!
When you lose a bout by bringing the balance total above 10 or below 0, you must take all shame cards from the middle.
Example: Later on during a bout, the balance is at 1. Player 1 plays a blue 2 and shouts "3!" Player 2 only has a red -5 left in hand. They play it and shout: "Minus 2!" Player 1 shouts: "SLAMBO!"
Break!
If both players run out of cards and no one has been SLAMBO'd, the referee calls for a break and rematch. No one takes any shame cards. Instead, add 1 shame card next to the start card (the next bout will be worth more shame).
Again!
If no one has 3 shame cards at the end of a bout, deal and play another bout. The loser of the last bout goes first. If the last bout ended in a break, whoever went second in the last bout goes first.
Win
If any player has 3 or more shame cards at the end of a bout, the game ends and they lose. The player left standing wins.
3-4 Player Rules
When playing with 3 or 4 players, shuffle the 6 special cards into the deck (effects listed below). When any player has 3 or more shame, the game ends and they lose. All their opponents win.
Plus/Minus card: Choose whether this card's number is positive or negative.
Reverse card: After raising or lowering the balance total, reverse the turn order. If a player has no cards left, skip their turn for the rest of the bout.
Copy card: Copy the last card played. If the last card was a Plus/Minus card, copy what the previous player chose. If the last card was another Copy card, copy what it copied.
Expert Match (1-9)
If players are familiar with the game and want a more suspenseful match, try flipping the start card to the 1-9 side during setup. When using this side, bringing the balance total above 9 or below 1 is a SLAMBO.
Credits
- Design: Ryan "Boulder" Richford
- Illustration: Sai Beppu
- Graphic Design: Anca Gavril
- Development: Breeze Grigas, John Brieger, Brian McKay
- Rules Editing: Jeff Fraser
- 3D Artist: Filip Gavril