Pennant Games

Hi, I'm Taylor

I'm a lifelong basketball fan. I started building Pennant Games with my sons as a way to take the drafts and lineups we would build with trading cards and see how they would compete against each other. It grew from an idea to a weekend project into something people that love sports can enjoy.

What is Pennant Games?

Pennant Games is a basketball simulation where you build your own players and teams and compete against your friends in exhibitions and full dynasty leagues.

Every game plays out based on player attributes, coaching settings, fatigue, matchups, and momentum — not random dice rolls. The result is realistic basketball with full box scores, shot charts, play-by-play, and game recaps.

Ways to Play

There are a few ways to play, each suited to different levels of commitment.

• Custom players & teams — the heart of the game. Create up to 12 user-designed players for your team, distributing stars and attribute points under a shared team budget. Every player added to the roster unlocks more budget to spread around, so the strategy is deciding who you make great and who takes a back seat. Private by default; turn individual players public when you're ready to show them off.
• Exhibitions — build two rosters and simulate a game or series instantly. 5v5, 3v3, and 1v1 modes, with optional coaching settings, era selection, and best-of series play. Save your favorite lineups for quick rematches.
• Leagues — the deepest experience. Create or join a league with friends and compete through a full season: draft, regular season, trades, free agency, playoffs, and awards. Commissioners control roster size, playoff format, draft style, salary caps, trade deadlines, and era settings.
• Competitions — free-to-play challenges where you build a lineup under a salary cap and try to beat a preset opponent. No account required. Featured challenges rotate regularly.

The Engine

When you build a custom player, their rating is derived from the stars and attribute points you allocate under your team's shared budget. The engine uses era adjustments (1990s-2000s slow-pace era gets volume stats scaled up), age-based curves, and impact weights adjusted for position.

Games are simulated with a detailed engine that models individual defensive matchups, positional chemistry, hot/cold streaks, clutch performance, fatigue-based substitutions, and coaching strategy. Every shot, rebound, steal, and turnover is determined by each player's 24 visible skill attributes (plus 5 hidden attributes that control consistency, streakiness, foul tendency, injury risk, and usage). Leagues can optionally select an era (1970s through 2020s) to adjust the simulation to match that decade's style of play.

Read the full documentation for details on attributes, ratings, the simulation engine, and more.

Who built this

Pennant Games is built by Taylor Davidson, creator of Hemrock. For questions, feedback, or partnership inquiries, reach out at hello@pennantgames.com.

Request Access

Pennant Games is currently in early access. Submit a request below to join the waitlist.