Sewer Sam
Sewer Sam — frequently asked questions
- Is Sewer Sam on Steam?
- No. Sewer Sam is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
- What platforms is Sewer Sam on?
- Sewer Sam is available on ColecoVision, Intellivision, MSX.
- When did Sewer Sam release?
- Sewer Sam was first released on December 31, 1983.
About Sewer Sam
It's a lovely day and Sam is waiting in Central Park to meet his girlfriend Sally. He sees her and walks to her. He only has eyes for her and before he realizes it he finds himself in the New York sewer system. Three Russian submarines have been located in the New York sewer system and they have blocked off the system. Sam's only way out of the sewer system is to destroy the Russian submarines. Luckily, Sam carries his revolver. Sam can't go back... once he's gone through the City Sewer Department seals the tunnel. Luckily, Sam carries his revolver.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- ColecoVision, Intellivision, MSX
- Developer
- Interphase
- Publisher
- Toshiba-EMI
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Built by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ColecoVisionDetails ↓ | 1984 | $26 | $97 | — | — | Interphase |
| IntellivisionDetails ↓ | 1983 | $13 | $28 | — | Graphics ★★★ · Play-Action ★★★½ | Interphase Technologies |
Also released on: MSX. We haven’t priced or authenticated that version yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
ColecoVision · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-19
How often it sells
- Loose: about 6 times a year
- Complete: about 2 times a year
- Sealed: rarely — fewer than one recorded sale a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-19.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $9.99 in Apr 2019, $23 five years ago, and $26 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2020 | $19.99 | $80 |
| Jan 2021 | $19.99 | $25 |
| Jan 2022 | $29 | $63 |
| Jan 2023 | $25 | $30 |
| Jan 2024 | $33 | $82 |
| Jan 2025 | $23 | $62 |
| Jan 2026 | $21 | $80 |
| Oct 2026 | $26 | $97 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory |
|---|
| North America Interphase |
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1984
- Controller
- Hand controller (joystick and side buttons)
- Players
- 1 or 2
- Authenticity
- Low
The ColecoVision version
A three-dimensional sewer chase that was the first ColecoVision cartridge with chip-produced speech.
Interphase, a Canadian company, brought its Intellivision game Sewer Sam to the ColecoVision in March 1984. Electronic Games said in July 1984 that Interphase had done what Coleco itself had declared impossible: voice from a cartridge, with no add-on.
In its January 1985 review, Electronic Games praised the three-dimensional looking passageways that narrow into the distance, smooth animation, pleasing color and quick, accurate stick response. It plays with one or two players taking turns. The reviewer called it a must for ColecoVision owners, and a poster was packed with it.
What the press said at the time
“Sewer Sam is a first rate, highly entertaining bit of electronic diversion. A must have for ColecoVisionaries.”
How the ColecoVision version differs
Electronic Games said the ColecoVision cartridge talks without any additional hardware, with no need for an expansion module.
The ColecoVision game is an adaptation of Interphase's earlier Intellivision game.
Also on other platforms
Intellivision
| ColecoVision | Interphase |
- Intellivision. Computer Entertainer called the Intellivision original a new kind of maze game, with a first-person view from inside the maze. Sam's gun holds only six bullets at a time.
Worth knowing
- From the ColecoVision manual. Sam's revolver holds six shots and takes a few seconds to reload; an indicator at the bottom of the screen shows the shots left.
- From the ColecoVision manual. The 'O' key stops the action at any time and any other key resumes play.
- From the ColecoVision manual. Sam must sink all 3 Russian submarines, each by shooting three rising missiles; sinking the first two subs scores 1000 points each and the third 5000.
Before you buy
Standard controller. A complete copy should include the poster, which Electronic Games noted came in the box. A museum list calls it rare, so ask for photos of the cartridge and box.
Collector value & authenticity
Intellivision · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-20
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-20.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $7.50 in Apr 2009, $12.35 five years ago, and $12.99 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $7.00 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $11.13 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $20 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $6.95 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $50 | $128 |
| Jan 2015 | $24 | $53 |
| Jan 2016 | $4.99 | $17.00 |
| Jan 2017 | $24 | $9.99 |
| Jan 2018 | $8.98 | $18.23 |
| Jan 2019 | $11.38 | $19.84 |
| Jan 2020 | $10.68 | $37 |
| Jan 2021 | $12.61 | $37 |
| Jan 2022 | $19.27 | $37 |
| Jan 2023 | $12.42 | $34 |
| Jan 2024 | $18.84 | $28 |
| Jan 2025 | $12.06 | $27 |
| Jan 2026 | $9.93 | $29 |
| Oct 2026 | $12.99 | $28 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1983
- Authenticity
- Low
The Intellivision version
Interphase's first-person maze game, set in a New York sewer and unusual for the system.
Sewer Sam came from Interphase Technologies, a small company, in 1983. Computer Entertainer's October 1983 review called it a new kind of maze game, viewed from inside the maze, with Sam armed with a gun that holds only six bullets at a time. Sam is a New York sanitation worker.
This Intellivision cart is the original Sam; Interphase later took the character to the ColecoVision.
What the press said at the time
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 2 No. 7 | October 1983 | Graphics ★★★ · Play-Action ★★★½ |
“SEWER SAM is a delightfully original game that offers good, three-dimensional graphics, nice sound effects, and entertaining game play suitable for all ages.”
“The simulated 3-D effect is marvelous, especially at faster speeds because the brightly colored walls provide a dazzling, hypnotic effect as Sam races deeper into the unknown.”
Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — diamonds through early 1987, stars after — comparing each game only with other games for the same system.
Before you buy
Interphase packed two overlays, but its own materials say they are unused, so a missing overlay costs little. Collectors report cartridge label variations, picture versus text, whose significance nobody has established. Priced modestly; box and manual add to value.
Sewer Sam screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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