Austin, Texas - Challenge Games, a developer of browser-based, free-to-play online games, announced on Thursday that it has closed a $4.5 million first round of funding from Sequoia Capital.

Austin-based Challenge Games said it has also signed a multi-year licensing deal with MLB Advanced Media for "Baseball Boss," a game that lets players collect and trade virtual online baseball cards.

The company's first game, the online fantasy sports title "Duels," has accrued 250,000 players in its first ten months, and is available on Facebook.

Both are "short-form" titles -- which can be played in 5 to 15-minute increments -- and are free to play, but also feature VIP memberships that charge a subscription fee.

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http://www.duels.com