Edd Allard
United States
Colorado Springs
Colorado
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I have an extensive collection of games in a variety of genres -- fantasy games, wargames, family games -- and football games. My collection of football games started in the mid 70s when I received my free copy of Kellogg's Professional Football with a box of Wheeties. Since then, I've acquired several different football games ranging in complexity and playability, from the statistically heavy Strat-O-Matic to the very light Go Long Dice Football. I've even got an original copy of Blood Bowl. "Third and Long: The Football Card Game" is my 12th game in this genre. My point ... I have a fair idea of what makes a good -- and bad -- football game. TaL is a good game.
Strengths:
a. It's not heavily dependent on statistics and charts. In fact, there are no charts at all!
b. Each team has a number of star players whose individual attributes can contribute to the success of a play, making the "coaching experience" more satisfying as you select your plays based on your team's strengths and the opponent's weaknesses.
c. With 9 plays on offense and 6 on defense, both coaches have sufficient options to leverage the players on the field and the cards in their hands -- again, making the "coaching experience" somewhat richer than other games of similar complexity.
d. No board. Really .. this is a strength. The offense attempts to win a certain number of key plays each possession and defense tries to stop them. Whether the drive results in a score or not is based on these key plays. It makes the game more portable, and changes the focus from "maximizing yardage" to "optimizing play calling".
e. Enough depth to keep it interesting. There are penalties, big plays, 2-point conversions, and the ability to "go for it" on fourth down -- all of the elements you want in a satisfying football experience.
f. Gameplay. Once you understand the rules, the game flows fairly well, especially during standard plays.
g. Interaction. This is probably one of the biggest strengths. Both "coaches" are heavily involved in every play -- from play calling, to card play, to deciding when to go for it on 4th down or to call a time out. This is a big strength over several games in this genre where the offensive player is very active during the turn, and the defense is basically a spectator after the initial play selection.
Weaknesses:
a. Gameplay. While the rules for the basic plays aren't hard, there are a number of "special circumstances" such as 2-point conversions, time outs, etc. that have their own unique rules. While these add a desirable amount of depth, they aren't always intuitive and can halt the flow of the game some.
b. Abstraction. Selecting plays that leverage your players' strengths is a highly desirable quality in a football game. However, the use of random numbers and modifier cards from your hand to determine the outcome of a play adds a level of abstraction that some might find unappealing. There is far less "luck factor" than in dice based football games, and hand management can mitigate this, but it's still there. Also, tracking successful plays instead of yards gained or lost may be a bit too abstract for some who need to "see" the results of their play calling in terms of field position.
Rulebook. Overall the rules are fairly clear. However, the organization of the rules is a bit disjointed, and it's not always easy or quick to find what you're looking for. Also, the timing of card play isn't intuitive and the rules don't necessarily make it clear.
Overall, I really like this game. The use of star players with different strengths, coupled with the ability to call plays that leverage those strengths is highly desirable in a football simulation. Determining the success of a drive based on a number of key plays is reminiscent of the "highlight reels" on your favorite postgame show. And, for the most part gameplay is smooth and quick, allowing for a satisfying game experience in a relatively short amount of time. Finally, since it's a card game, it's highly portable and doesn't require a lot of set up or tear down.
If you're a stats nut, this game is NOT for you. If you really need to "see" the results of your plays on the gridiron, this game is NOT for you, either. But, if you want a game that allows you to "coach" a stable of star players, call plays that leverage their strengths, and interact more directly with your opponent during each play, then you're going to like this one.
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Chris Schreiber
United States
Waynesville
Ohio
Looking forward to Origins & Gencon 2012
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Thanks for the review. I just learned about this game from a podcast (Little Metal Dog) and was pleased to read your review.
The fact that you know football games in general really informs this review for me.
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Peter Folke
Denmark
Lyngby (Copenhagen)
Pierce 2
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Great review.
I'm going to look into this. Next I am going to look at the cards to decide if the art is evocative enough for me, and then comes an important question:
How is the card stock quality?
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Brent Evanger
United States
Robbinsdale
Minnesota
Check out the complete line of IPG games at www.interactionpoint.com
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Falke wrote:
How is the card stock quality?
The game was printed at the professional game printer DeLano/EPI and the card stock and print quality is great, in my (biased!) opinion.
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Peter Folke
Denmark
Lyngby (Copenhagen)
Pierce 2
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Thanks for the disclaimer and the answer. My last hurdle is availability in Europe.
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