Basketball Bones

Game clock winding down, tie game, road team brings the ball up the court with the home crowd shrieking "DEE-FENSE, DEE-FENSE!" as the visitors try to get the rock in the hands of their top scorer for a possible game-winning shot. But pro basketball is a player's game, and sometimes the play that the coach designs doesn't work, so here comes a 20-foot jumper from the least likely shooter on the court as the clock is about to reach triple zeroes. The shot is true, tickling the net as the home crowd groans!

Is this a scene from any given night in the pro game? Absolutely – and it's also a scene that can happen with the same frequency when you play Basketball Bones, PT Games' new tabletop simulation of pro basketball using four dice ("bones") and player cards for a remarkably compact, efficient game engine in which very few charts are consulted and almost every possession is resolved by the dice and cards. Rebounding beasts, three point specialists, needle-threading passers and ham-handed, foul-prone defenders are all here, ready to perform for you on your tabletop as if it was made of hardwood. From the league's MVP to the 12th man on the worst team in the league, Basketball Bones rates every pro player in shooting percentage, field goal attempt frequency, rebounding, passing and more. The Rare Play charts introduce intangibles such as momentum swings, injuries, boneheaded decisions, and more!