Fourth down. Two seconds on the clock.
The whole game on one play.
FIRST DOWN is a tactical football board game for 2 to 6 players. You and your opponent pick a play in secret and reveal at the same time. The matchup sets the odds, the dice decide how many yards you get.
The Kickstarter campaign has ended. FIRST DOWN keeps going. Everything that comes next goes to the list first. Join here.
Three steps. One read.
You can learn a down in a minute. Getting good at reading the coach across the table takes a lot longer.
Pick in secret
Offense picks a play, defense picks a coverage. Both cards go face down. No one waits for anyone.
Reveal together
Flip both cards at once. Every matchup value is printed on the card, so you see right away who called it better.
Roll for yards
Now the dice come in. The better call gets the bonus, the roll decides how far the ball moves. Then the next down starts.
The coach decides the down. The dice decide the yards. No lookup tables, no turn order, no waiting.
Made for the table and the sideline.
A head-to-head bluffing game
- Simultaneous hidden selection. Both players commit at the same time.
- Everything you need is on the card. No charts to look up.
- Three ways to play. Start with Rookie Fan, go deeper with Season Fan and Diehard Fan.
- Skill moments. Field goals and Hail Marys are flicked by hand.
Downs, clock and play calls
- Four downs to make ten yards. Drives, punts, field goals and turnovers work the way you know.
- Real play calls. QB Draw, Flea Flicker, Cover 3, Blitz.
- Clock management. Every play costs time. The last two minutes feel like it.
- No football knowledge needed for your friends. They learn it as they play.
Pick your length.
FIRST DOWN
Four quarters, a running clock, field position and a full playbook. The complete game for a long evening.
FIRST DOWN SNAP
The 1v1 football card game. The same read-and-react core in 22 cards and two dice. The box turns into a ramp for field goals.
Play SNAP right now.
The fastest way to see if FIRST DOWN is your kind of game. Call a play, read the defense, score a drive. It takes a few minutes.
- No download, no account
- On your phone or computer
- Play the computer or a friend
Read them before you play.
The Quick Start gets you to the first snap in ten minutes. The full rulebook covers everything else. Both are drafts and are still being improved with feedback from players.
Built by a fan, tested at real tables.
I'm André, and I've been a football fan for a long time. For years I looked for a board game that gets the pressure of a big play right: two coaches, one decision, no way to take it back. I didn't find one, so I started building it in Baden, Switzerland.
FIRST DOWN has been played at game nights, conventions and kitchen tables since then, and every round of feedback made it better. It isn't finished yet. If you want to see where it goes, get on the list.
André Beucler, Don Bean Games
Be first when it's ready.
News about FIRST DOWN and SNAP, the next launch and new games. A few emails a year, no more.