- BGG rank
- BGG #16,715
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Famous 500: The World's Smallest Car Racing Game
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,637
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game
2012
Rules assistance for Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 30 min
- 13+
- Complexity 1.3/5
Rules assistant for Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game is a board game released in 2012 for 2 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Rob Bartel and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Simulation, and Action Points.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,145
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Famous Fastballs: The World's Smallest Baseball Game
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,233
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Famous Fairways: The World's Smallest Golf Game
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #27,829
- BGG rating
- 5.3
Famous Forehand: The World's Smallest Tennis Game
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,220
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Two by Two
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #802
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Evolution
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,748
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Volleyball High
- 2–4 players
- 15–25 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,867
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Valley Hoopers: The Series
- 2 players
- 45–120 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,771
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Bullfrog Goldfield
- 2–5 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #224
- BGG rating
- 7.8
This War of Mine: The Board Game
- 1–6 players
- 45–120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #416
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Nemo's War (Second Edition)
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,595
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Magnate: The First City
- 1–5 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2021
About the game
The feel of the laces against your fingers, the catch in your throat as the pocket closes in, the confidence as you unload that your wideout will be there... Do you have what it takes to be a famous football player? Find out today with Famous First Downs - the World's Smallest Gridiron Football Game! Famous First Downs is a fun, fast-playing simulation of the sport of American football. The game focuses on offensive and defensive play-calling and on the need to build and manage your team’s momentum over multiple scoring drives. Each down, the offense declares a play to which the defense secretly responds. The offense then chooses a play option, resulting in the success or failure of the play and determining any subsequent yardage. Blocked plays earn momentum for the defense while first downs earn momentum for the offense. That momentum can then be spent on special plays like interceptions, extra yards, and repeated downs. The various coins are used to track downs, momentum, and yardage. Famous First Downs is the fourth game in the Famous Games Company's line of World’s Smallest Sports Games and a personal favourite of the company's founder.
Designers
Publishers
- Famous Games Co
Questions and answers
Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game 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 Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game for ages 13 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.
Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game belongs to these categories: Card Game and Sports. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Simulation, and Action Points. 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 credited designers of Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game are: Rob Bartel. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Famous First Downs: The World's Smallest Football Game 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.