#85: Pizza Box Football

Pizza Box Football

• designer: Scott Smith & Erik Smith
• publisher: On the Line Game Company
• date: 2005
• BoardGameGeek rank/rating: 1117/6.40
• position on my top 100 in 2005: did not appear
• age: 12+
• # of players: 2
• print status: in print
• cost: $19.50 (Game Surplus)

Let's keep this short & simple... if you don't like dice and/or football, you should not pick up Pizza Box Football. 'Cuz that's pretty much all there is to it - choose your play, roll the dice, figure out what happens based on some pretty simple charts, have fun.

But for me, a big football fan who doesn't particularly like sports simulation games, this is a delight. (Note: there is a distinct difference between sports games & sports simulations - the first group includes things like Strand Cup, Streetsoccer & En Garde, where the game does a good job of getting the "feel" of the sport right without attempting to replicate the details of the sport. The second group attempts to simulate the sport in game terms - an excellent example of this is Pursue the Pennant/Dynasty League Baseball.*) If you really want a football simulation, go play the latest Madden video game.

I'd strongly recommend picking up one of the expansion team sets - this gives the game a wider variety of plays to choose from (from 3 to 6) and a full roster of NFL teams with their individual quirks. Also keep an eye out for the yearly Super Bowl match-up team cards that they put out free of charge online... it's been fun to play the game alongside the real game - and sometimes MUCH more interesting.

A final word: I think I've only won two or three games of this, out of the nineteen times I've played it. Doesn't change my love for it one bit.

* I actually enjoy Dynasty League Baseball, but only with someone who knows the game really well so we don't get bogged down in the rules.