A tabletop baseball simulation that brings your old cards back to life - all you need is cards and a single die.
Let's start with the obvious: card games are fun. Baseball is fun. Game nights unplugged are fun. Building a deck that you can play with, strategizing over which cards to include, tweaking your lineup - that's all part of the joy.
If you're a card collector, you know the feeling - boxes of old commons sitting around that are "worthless" by market standards, but somehow you can't throw them away. Maybe it's the nostalgia. Maybe it's the faint hope they'll be worth something someday. Maybe it's just that these cards are cool - great photographs, interesting stats, and fun trivia on the backs. Did you know Dick Tidrow of the Cubs in 1980 was affectionately nicknamed "Mr. Dirt"? You learn things like that from baseball cards.
The idea of using baseball cards and dice to simulate games isn't new. There have been some really good games created over the years, and some of them are still around today. But here's the thing: they tend to fall into two camps.
The hyper-realistic camp: These games are incredibly detailed simulations that capture every nuance of baseball. They're fantastic if you love complexity and have hours to dedicate to a single game. But they can be overwhelming for casual play or introducing new players.
The simple-but-inaccurate camp: These games are easy to learn and quick to play, but they sacrifice the statistical accuracy that makes player cards meaningful. When every 1983 common plays roughly the same, what's the point of using real cards?
What was missing? A game that was simple enough to play with just one die and finish in a reasonable time, but accurate enough to reflect the true performance of players from the season their card represents. A game where a Hall of Fame season actually feels dominant, where a .220 hitter struggles, and where that random utility infielder who had a career year in 1987 gets their moment to shine.
Commons Baseball fills that gap. It's the sweet spot between "too complex" and "too simple" - accessible enough for a casual game night, realistic enough that the stats matter, and built specifically to give those forgotten commons a purpose.
This game combines the pure joy of playing a simple tabletop card game with the excitement of rediscovering old cards you haven't thought about in years. It rewards you for digging through your collection to find hidden gems - players who had great seasons but never became household names. It makes you appreciate baseball history in a new way.
That's why Commons Baseball exists: to bring your cards back to life, to give commons their day in the sun, and to prove that the best game nights don't need a screen.
Whether you prefer analog simplicity or digital convenience, Commons Baseball adapts to your style.
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Play completely analog with just cards and a standard six-sided die. Perfect for offline play, camping trips, or just unplugging from screens.
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Finally, a reason to go through those boxes of commons gathering dust. Turn worthless cards into game pieces - the hunt is half the fun.
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Optional Android/iOS app to help manage your cards and play digital games. Same rules, same gameplay - just added convenience.
The game uses statistics from the backs of your cards to create a realistic baseball simulation that you can play head-to-head or solo. Most households already have a six-sided die, which is all you need to roll. No app required, no special equipment - just you, your cards, and a d6.
That said, we get it - sometimes you want a little help. The Commons Baseball app lets you photograph your cards, track your collection, and play digital games against the computer or friends. But the principle remains: the analog version comes first, and you can always play the traditional way.
Read the Rules