The Unexpected Rise of Blaseball: A Text-Based Phenomenon

The year 2020, lacking a conventional baseball season, witnessed the surprising emergence of a popular simulated league. However, the peculiar blend of absurdist elements and a minimalist aesthetic within Blaseball proved an unlikely formula for success.

This text-based fantasy league has garnered hundreds of thousands of participants and recently secured $3 million in funding to enhance the game and expand to mobile platforms.

What is Blaseball?

If you are unfamiliar with Blaseball, it is recommended to explore the game and register – participation is free. A brief period of browsing will likely provide a clearer understanding of the game than a lengthy explanation.

For those preferring to read, Blaseball is a web-based, fictional baseball-inspired league where players can wager in-game currency on match outcomes. However, the experience quickly deviates from the norm.

Unique Teams and Players

The teams are not recognizable franchises like the Mariners or the Mets, but rather entities such as the Moist Talkers and the Worms. Players boast names like Chorby Soul and Peanutiel Duffy, with statistics encompassing allergies, pre-game routines, and an array of RPG-style items.

Games, presented as concise text summaries akin to those found on sports websites, feature traditional elements like hits, balls, and stolen bases, alongside more unusual occurrences like incineration, shaming, and secret bases.

A Concoction of Chaos and Humor

“Weather” conditions might involve spontaneous blood transfusions between players, or avian interference with gameplay. In essence, it’s a thoroughly ridiculous, remarkably unpredictable, and genuinely humorous experience.

This distinctive combination of fantasy leagues, baseball satire, and cosmic horror has cultivated a devoted, yet often bewildered, fanbase over its 19-week seasons. The game’s success was, to a degree, unexpected by its creators.

Image Credits: The Game Band

The Origins of Blaseball

“We are as astonished as anyone,” stated Sam Rosenthal, founder and CEO of The Game Band, the game’s developer. “Blaseball began as an experimental side project during a challenging period – the pandemic created a difficult environment for the industry.”

The initial concept arose from a conversation during a real baseball game, where Rosenthal and a friend pondered a league with “different and more chaotic” rules. While real-life baseball rules are frequently updated, they haven’t yet included player resurrections after incineration or shrink rays.

A Game Unlike Any Other

Although the game shares some similarities with baseball, betting, and fantasy leagues, its inherent strangeness and randomness distinguish it significantly. This has occasionally led to frustration among players accustomed to more conventional experiences.

For example, a game outcome might be determined by a bird pecking a team’s star hitter inside a giant peanut shell, or a guaranteed home run resulting from the batter consuming magma.

The Hades Tigers … currently performing well. The roster displays a team’s attributes, and players can collaborate to enact changes through weekly voting. Image Credits: The Game Band

Cooperation and Collective Success

“We sometimes need to remind fans that this is a horror game,” Rosenthal conceded. The gameplay emphasizes cooperation and shaping the league’s direction, rather than precise prediction. “This isn’t about individual achievement, but collective progress.”

The game’s mechanics reward organization and collaboration among fans. Using in-game currency to influence the treatment of popular players at the end of a season can have substantial consequences for the following season.

An Alternative Reality Game

Players are participating in a long-term alternative-reality game, as evidenced by the ominous announcements and events that periodically occur. Alongside game results and player updates, players might encounter messages indicating “Reality flickered in the Feedback,” or cryptic dialogue about the league and the cosmos.

This can be unsettling, prompting questions about whether the creators have a defined narrative or are simply embracing randomness. Rosenthal clarified that a plan does exist.

Image Credits: The Game Band

A Planned Narrative

“There is a destination in mind,” he assured. “We have extensive lore developed, and we hold daily writers’ room sessions, typically lasting 3-4 hours. However, we must remain adaptable.”

“The simulation itself and the fans are also creators. Emergent narratives, like the reincarnation of Jaylen Hotdogs, take us by surprise. We are constantly learning and allow ourselves flexibility to adjust as needed.”

Sustainability and Funding

The developers initially doubted the game’s longevity and financial viability. Being a side project developed during unusual circumstances, Blaseball wasn’t initially intended as a major revenue generator.

“We were gradually losing money since we hadn’t established a profitable structure from the start,” Rosenthal explained. “Fortunately, our community has been incredibly supportive through Patreon and sponsorships. Ultimately, we wanted to improve the game and ensure our team receives fair compensation.”

Image Credits: The Game Band

Future Development: Mobile and Beyond

The $3 million seed round secures the game’s future and enables The Game Band to expand its team. This will prevent situations where developers must interrupt meetings to provide technical support due to site instability.

Crucially, the team intends to develop a native mobile app. Over half of Blaseball’s players access the game via mobile devices, and the current mobile experience is suboptimal.

The company’s background is in mobile development, ensuring they possess the necessary expertise. They chose the web platform for initial deployment due to its ease of use during the pandemic, but now prioritize a robust mobile experience.

A Collaborative Partnership

Rosenthal expressed initial reluctance towards seeking funding, prioritizing independence. However, he praised their investor, Makers Fund, for understanding Blaseball and acting as partners rather than imposing control.

“They recognize that simply replicating monetization strategies from other games would ruin the experience. They have a strong network within the gaming industry and offer valuable guidance without being overly prescriptive.”

(The fictional Commissioner even playfully asserted that “Blaseball has acquired Makers Fund” in the press release, highlighting the collaborative spirit.)

Preserving the Community Experience

“We are acutely aware that free-to-play games can employ monetization tactics that harm the community,” he continued. “The game will always be free to play, and it will never be pay-to-win. The Crabs will not dominate simply because they have more resources.”

“When considering monetization, we prioritize benefits for the community as a whole, not individual players.”

The league continues to evolve, driven by the ongoing interaction between players and developers. The creators intend to maintain the game’s inherent strangeness, recognizing that constant disorientation is a core element of its appeal.

Rosenthal even likened Blaseball to the Dark Souls series of video games – “it gives you so little, it asks you to interpret and put a thesis together, to go linger on forums and talk with others about it. We wanted to create that kind of experience, and see how people would interpret this sort of weird, unknowable entity.”

They have certainly succeeded in creating something weird and unknowable. You can experience Blaseball for yourself here.

(This story was originally published with an incorrect funding amount of $3.4 million. This was an error and has been corrected to $3 million.)