Inside Social Games

Well, for those not hooked on Fantasy Football – and even for those who are – comes another “fantasy” sports application for those avid athleticism viewers. Called Last 2 Left, this collection of apps are broken up into the categories of baseball, college football, pro football, hockey, and basketball.

Built on Facebook, players are able to create a game with one objective: Guess which teams will make it to the Championship Game of that sport. Hence the name “Last 2 Left.” When a game is created, the user is prompted with the selection of three deadlines for picking the final two. The game is greatly automated so it makes suggestions as to what those deadlines should be. The game creator or “Game Manager” can change these deadlines up until the date in question.

Each game created can be made private or public and the winner is the one who picks the two teams to reach the Championship. However, if no one picks them, then the winner is the player to predict the Champion. If no one picks that, then whoever picks anyone in the final two and has the lowest “Combined Ranking Score” becomes the winner.

Though these games are exceedingly simple they do make for a decent extra addition for a Sunday afternoon. However, beyond the social Facebook outlet it provides, participants are currently eligible for a Last 2 Left contest worth $1,000. Suffice to say, a few are unavailable. For example, baseball season is coming to an end so those picks are out of the question but pro football, hockey, and basketball are currently open. Also, since there is no fee to play, it’s not gambling in any way; just some fun with added incentive. That said, if you have five spare minutes, be sure to be check back and join/create a game before the contest deadlines to be eligible. The dates are posted below:

• Basketball – Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009
• College Football – N/A (Friday, October 9, 2009)
• Pro Football – Saturday, October 31, 2009
• Hockey – Friday, December 4, 2009
• Baseball – N/A (Sunday, September 20, 2009)

Beyond the sports game, the developer (of the same name) also offers a version for reality-based television shows, where users pick the remaining show contestants.