Play Action VCR Football from 1988 is a board game that blends traditional football strategy with real NFL highlight footage. Players take on the roles of coaches, calling offensive and defensive plays, rolling dice, and consulting play charts to resolve matchups. Some results are determined by drawing cards or referring to live-action VCR clips, adding unpredictability and realism to the game. The VHS tape contains over 200 actual NFL plays, including a “You Call the Penalty” challenge where players must decide the correct ruling based on the footage. A VCR with still-frame capability is required to play. With its combination of tabletop tactics and real-game highlights, it offers a unique way to experience the intensity of football from the coach’s chair.

It was an inspiring idea, but pressing play/pause/play/pause repeatedly to go through a linear VHS tape doesn’t seem all that riveting an idea today.  You can find out a little bit more about this title at Board Game Geek if you’d like (as well as our other Board Game titles), but we’re going to archive this and have no intention of reviving it.