With the Euros tantalizingly close to being underway, there’s a whole lot of footballing action coming up this summer. what is there to fill your time until then though? I think now is the perfect time to try out a few football video games, then select your favorites so that you’ve got something to keep you occupied in half time. I’ve got a broad selection, spanning mobile apps, free online games, and classic console titles. So, whatever your budget (in terms of money and free time) I’ve got you covered.
Football Frenzy (Online, Mobile)
First on the list is a game that’s perfectly suited to a quick half-time gaming session. One of the most popular slots in the Bodog catalogue, Football Frenzy is a 5×3 slots game with the potential to score 500x your bet. The graphics in this game are excellent, perfectly capturing the fanaticism that football promotes. With whistles, scarves, and overflowing beers, you’ll feel like you’re actually in the stands playing this game.
This game has a few unique features, like the free games’ bonus round and the penalty kick bonus too. Both offer you the chance to win more games and increase your multipliers, hopefully leading to big wins.
EA Sports FC 24 (PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC)
There was a whole lot of commotion when EA announced it would be changing the name of the best-selling football series from FIFA to EA Sports FC24. Many lamented it as the end of an era, and even more thought it could likely be a change for the worse. But – has it been? For what it’s worth, I think it’s been a – resounding – success. There are still kinks to iron out, as is always the case for a brand-new release, but it’s a really solid game. The new Evolutions and Tactical Visions mechanics add an interesting twist to a similar format and the new overlays provide a welcome insight into the stats.
The Playstyles feature is without a shadow of a doubt the most exciting though. This really takes the individuality of the players to a whole new level. No two players control quite the same, allowing you to specify their skills such as shooting, defending, and goalkeeping. It’s a great touch that differentiates this game massively from previous instalments. The AI is a little schlocky, with oftentimes poor decision-making that players at this level just wouldn’t make. However, with the speed with which AI is advancing, the next instalment promises to be incredibly exciting.
AI League (Mobile App)
Speaking of AI, this mobile app is definitely aimed at the younger generation, but actually stands up as a pretty good football game. World Cup AI League is a four versus four strategy game featuring AI characters and the potential to collect NFTs too. Think of it like the up-to-date football trading card game. It was launched back in November 2021 but has received numerous updates since then – and with the Euros on the horizon, I fully expect there’ll be a few more. It’s free to play, which immediately scores it some points and it’s compatible with Android and iOS too.
You can play with your AI powered team in all kinds of famous locations, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and Seoul to name but a handful. It’s a shame that the game still isn’t fully compatible with cryptocurrency, owing to Google and Apple’s own restrictions, but if this can be overcome it will not only be a solid game, but an interesting entry point into the world of crypto gaming.
Football Manager 2024 (PC, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Mobile)
The final choice had to be a heavy hitter and what better way to complete the knockout than Football Manager. The 2024 version is out and it’s just as good as ever, with a few naughty little extras thrown in. There’s a great new feature that allows you to carry over your save files from last year. For those who’ve spent as long-playing football manager as I have, you’ll know just how brilliant and hotly anticipated this feature is. You’ll also find (in a similar way to EA Sports FC24) that player personalities are enhanced too.
One thing that hasn’t changed is just how impenetrable this game can seem for new players. In fact, it would be fair to say that the current user interface makes it more challenging than ever. If you’re already a Football Manager fanatic then you’ll be fine, but new players will need to carve themselves out an afternoon to really get to grips with things. Overall, the new changes have largely been welcome, particularly that save file transfer option, but it would be great to see an interface that’s just a tiny bit more accessible/less overwhelming.
