User:Neonpixii/sandbox/Blaseball

Blaseball is an online browser baseball simulation horror game developed by The Game Band. It was released on 20 July 2020.

Gameplay
Blaseball centers on an absurdist simulation of baseball, with random events such as the "incineration" of players by "rogue umpires" with fictional team names. After the first log-in, the players can choose a team and are given some coins. The game allows the players to bet on the outcome of the simulated games by using an in-game currency. Each season lasts a week, and the players are able to follow what happens in real time. The matches are organized every day on the hour, while the post-season happens on a Saturday. Each team member has a name and a star rating, which is used to determine their stats. Users are able to use their in-game currency to vote on events and rule changes that will happen after each season.

Development
Sam Rosenthal, the creative director of The Game Band, spent some time on Zoom calls during a quarantine caused by coronavirus with friends who don't usually play video games, but were still eager to play browser adaptations of board games. The idea of creating a title that would bring people together attracted the developers. At first, he thought to make a horse-racing gambling game, but the team decided that the whole concept was better suited for baseball.

From 9 August 2020 to 24 August 2020, The Game Band put the game on a temporary hiatus, citing the problems associated with running into unexpected viral popularity.