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Twin It!
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Egyptian Ratscrew
1975
Rules assistance for Egyptian Ratscrew
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–10 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Egyptian Ratscrew
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Egyptian Ratscrew is a board game released in 1975 for 2–10 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Speed Matching.
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About the game
Description by Wikipedia.org "Egyptian Ratscrew, commonly abbreviated as ERS and also known as Egyptian Rhapsody, Egyptian Rattrap, Slap, Bloodystump, Nuclear Holocaust, Egyptian Rat Race, and Egyptian War, is a card game of the accumulation family, reminiscent of Slapjack and Beggar-My-Neighbour, but more complex. The game is played with a standard 52-card deck (or with multiple standard decks shuffled together with large numbers of players). Each player takes an even share of the deck as their face-down pile. Players take turns laying a single card from the top of their pile. If a face card is played, the player after the player who laid the card has a number of chances to play another face card (J=1, Q=2, K=3, A=4). If they succeed play continues as usual; If they fail, the player who played the last face card claims the entire pile. If, at any time, certain "sets" appear in the pile (usually pairs and sandwiches, but not limited to triples, runs, etc) ANY player may SLAP the pile and claim all the cards. Even a bystander may do this and jump into the game. The game ends when one player has all the cards.
Categories
Mechanics
Publishers
- (Public Domain)
- University Games
Questions and answers
Egyptian Ratscrew supports 2–10 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Egyptian Ratscrew is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Egyptian Ratscrew for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Egyptian Ratscrew has a complexity rating of 1.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Egyptian Ratscrew belongs to these categories: Card Game and Action / Dexterity. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Speed Matching. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists Egyptian Ratscrew as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.