“Masters of the Gridiron”…now there’s a game I never thought I’d see cross my desk. For those of you who know me, sports and I have a love/hate relationship. I (at best) tolerate watching them, but I enjoy interacting with them via the art of board games and video games. “Masters of the Gridiron” is of the former genre and will be shortly seeking your help on Kickstarter to reach the homes of American pro football fans everywhere. I’ll be covering the game in an upcoming preview so I won’t divulge too much, but I will say that this is one sports game that I can get behind as it is fast and easy to play…even for someone like me who doesn’t live and breathe football.
Masters of the Gridiron
Clay Dreslough from Sports Mogul Inc. shared the following press release:
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Sports Mogul Inc. Announces Masters of the Gridiron
Ground-Breaking Sports Card Game Launches on Kickstarter
Ashford, CT — Sports Mogul Inc. is proud to unveil Masters of the Gridiron, a pro football head-to-head card game, using real teams and players from the 2013 season.
“A Skill-Based Card Game That Feels Like Football”
Years of development have created a game with simple and elegant rules but unlimited depth and strategy. By focusing on one key play in each scoring drive, you play an entire football game in under 20 minutes. “Despite this level of abstraction, we have worked tirelessly to make the game feel like football” said Clay Dreslough, President at Sports Mogul Inc. “Every player on your team, from your star quarterback to your right tackle, has their own player card, and has the ability to impact the outcome of every game.”
Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master
Each player starts the game with 3 offensive player cards, 3 defensive player cards, and 4 playbook cards. To mount a scoring drive, you match a playbook card to an offensive player with the appropriate skills (such as “passing” or “run blocking”) and lay them down on the table, announcing the player rating that your opponent must beat in order to stop you from scoring. Along the way, you enjoy all the aspects of a real football game, from goal-line stands and two-point conversions to game-changing interceptions and last-minute field goals.
As with traditional card games like poker, you go head-to-head against your opponent, taking calculated risks, and using one move to set up the next one. There is no “play guessing” mechanic to make you feel like you are playing rock-paper-scissors.
High-Level Strategy
Masters of the Gridiron also puts you in the role of Offensive Coordinator and General Manager. You choose your starting players and combine them with a playbook of 24 or more cards. You can pair an MVP quarterback with a trio of superstar receivers, or spend top dollar for a stud defensive tackle that anchors your “3-4” defense.
“A Sports Game for the 21st Century”
Sports Mogul Inc. is well known for their award-winning “Baseball Mogul” and “Football Mogul” computer games, capable of simulating entire seasons in just a few minutes. The company used this technology as the basis for Masters of the Gridiron — to create realistic player ratings for over 650 current players, and to create realistic playbooks for all 32 teams.
The playbook cards themselves are used to track your score. So the only thing you need to play are two decks (one per team) and a few minutes of time. However, we have found the game so addicting that a “quick 15-minute game” can easily turn into an extended grudge match.
Masters of the Gridiron:
Kickstarter: http://kck.st/JD9RXZ
Web Site: http://www.motg.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastersofthegridiron
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The Kickstarter campaign is expected to launch sometime in late January 2014.