I've wanted to buy this game for years. As a treat to myself this Xmas -- couldn't quite afford that bottle of Lagavulin -- I finally picked up the book and PDF. This game, courtesy of the witty Mr. Akers, did not disappoint. This is a game for people who love baseball.

For my first outing, I generated the Victoria Victrolas, a power-hitting bunch of 20th century ballplayers if ever you saw any. I played my lovable AAAA team from my home town against the 1899 Cleveland Spiders and had a lovely afternoon out of the rain. I enjoyed the easy dice rolling and score keeping so much that I had to have someone join in the fun. I invited my beer-slinging ballpark employee pal over and we proceeded to see Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Star Trek's Buck Bokai, Catfish Hunter and Marco Estrada play baseball together before our eyes. My baseball fiend of a friend enjoyed himself so much we had to play another game right after the first one.

I run a weekly 5e game for friends, and I need some chances to get away from that large (sometimes anxiety-inducingly bloated) game, full of rules and dramatic license. Deadball is the perfect kind of vacation from those hours of hefty game prep. I guarantee that, as you contemplate your team's chances of avoiding the bottom of the division this upcoming baseball season, Deadball will keep your heart beating baseball and your stomach screaming for red hots and cold beer.