Egyptian Rat Screw
A fast-paced slapping game combining the mechanics of War with pattern recognition. Players slap the pile when certain combinations appear, making it both a card game and a test of reflexes.
What You'll Need
About This Game
A fast-paced slapping game combining the mechanics of War with pattern recognition. Players slap the pile when certain combinations appear, making it both a card game and a test of reflexes.
How to Play
- Deal entire deck evenly between players
- Players take turns flipping cards onto center pile
- On face cards/aces, next player must play face cards within a limit:
- Ace: 4 chances, King: 3, Queen: 2, Jack: 1
- If they fail, previous player wins the pile
- Anyone can slap for special combinations:
- Doubles (two same rank), Sandwiches (same rank with one between)
- Top-bottom match, Tens (two cards summing to 10)
- First to slap correctly wins the pile
- Wrong slap = give a card to each opponent
- Run out of cards = out (but can slap back in)
- Last player with cards wins
Where to Buy
History & Background
Egyptian Rat Screw (also called Egyptian Ratslap or ERS) evolved in the United States, likely during the 1970s or 1980s. Despite its name, it has no connection to ancient Egypt - the name is simply memorable and humorous.
The game developed from simpler games like Slapjack and War, adding the face card battle mechanic and various slapping rules. Its exact origins are unclear, as it spread primarily through oral tradition among schoolchildren and college students.
ERS became popular on college campuses in the 1980s and 1990s, where competitive players developed quick reflexes and memorized the elaborate slapping rules (sandwiches, tens, etc.).
The game is known by many regional names and rule variations. The physical nature of the slapping mechanic makes it unusually engaging, and the game remains popular among young people looking for energetic card games.