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SLAMBO!

Overview

SLAMBO! is a fast-paced card game played in rounds called bouts. Players take turns adjusting a shared balance total—but push it too far and your opponent will shout SLAMBO!


Setup

Players Cards in Deck Starting Hand
2 23 6
3–4 17 5
  1. Place the start card in the middle with the 0–10 side up
  2. Place 1 shame card next to the start card
  3. Set remaining shame cards aside as a supply
  4. Give each player a player aid
  5. Shuffle the number cards (only add special cards with 3+ players)
  6. Deal each player a starting hand (see table above)
  7. Set leftover cards facedown
  8. Choose a random player to go first

Gameplay

Turn

  • Players take turns playing 1 card face up onto the central pile
  • Only the top card of the pile should be visible
  • The starting balance total is 5

Each time you play a card:

  • Adjust the balance total by the number on the card
    • Blue cards raise the total
    • Red cards lower the total
  • Shout the new total

SLAMBO!

If the balance total goes:*Above 10

  • Below 0

👉 Your opponent shouts SLAMBO! and you lose the bout

  • The losing player takes all shame cards from the middle

Break

If both players run out of cards and no one is SLAMBO’d:

  • The referee calls BREAK!
  • No one takes shame cards
  • Add 1 shame card next to the start card

Important: The next bout will be worth more shame


Again

If no player has 3 shame cards:

  • Play another bout
  • The loser of the last bout goes first

If the last bout ended in a break:*The player who went second goes first


Win Condition

If any player has 3 or more shame cards at the end of a bout:*That player loses

  • The remaining player wins

3–4 Player Rules

  • Shuffle the 6 special cards into the deck
  • The game ends immediately when any player has 3 or more shame
  • That player loses
  • All other players win

Special Cards

  • After adjusting the balance total, reverse the turn order
  • If a player has no cards left, skip their turn

Special effects:

  • Choose whether a card’s number is positive or negative
  • Copy the last card played**If the last card copied something, copy that result

Expert Match (1–9)

For a more suspenseful game:

  • Flip the start card to the 1–9 side

Now SLAMBO occurs if the balance total goes:

  • Above 9
  • Below 1

==Example==*Player 1 plays a blue 4 → “9!”

  • Player 2 plays red -7 → “2!”

Later in the bout:

  • Balance is 1
  • Player 1 plays blue 2 → “3!”
  • Player 2 plays red -5 → “-2!”
  • Player 1 shouts: SLAMBO!

Components

  • 1 Start Card (Hakkeyoi, Nokotta!)
  • 9 Shame Cards (Haji!)
  • 17 Number Cards (9 blue, 8 red)
  • 6 Special Cards
  • 4 Player Aids

Theme Note

Hakkeyoi! (“come on!”) and Nokotta! (“remaining!”) are traditional sumo referee calls used during matches.


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