March Madness

About this board game

March Madness is a college basketball replay and tournament game for 2–64 players, with a play time of about 45 minutes. Released in 1991, it lets players revisit Final Four teams from the past 40 years.

With two players, the game focuses on replaying a college basketball game between two great Final Four teams. With a larger group, players can revisit a favorite Final Four or create a complete bracket of 64 teams, then play their own great teams tournament.

Each team is represented by a card containing its vital historical statistics from the particular year it made the Final Four. These statistics provide the historical foundation for resolving play between the selected teams.

• Replay a matchup between two historic Final Four teams.
• Use team cards featuring statistics from their Final Four season.
• Create and play a tournament bracket with up to 64 teams.
• Resolve scoring through dice and opposing team positions.

During play, a number of dice are rolled to determine whether a scoring resolution occurs between one of the opposing six positions on the team. The dice therefore determine when a scoring situation is ready to be resolved.

If no resolution is determined, the player rolling the dice may place a card from their hand on one of the unresolved positions. This card placement can influence that position’s scoring ability, giving the active player a way to affect the developing game.

Whether used for a focused two-player replay or a larger tournament experience, March Madness combines historical team information, dice-based scoring resolutions, and cards that can influence unresolved positions.