The studio behind Darkwood are making turn-based tactical football, and you can try it free now
Following phenomenally frightful survival horror game Darkwood, Polish team Acid Wizard Studio are now making... a football game? They've just released a free public alpha for Soccer Kids, inviting everyone to try their turn-based tactical footie game starring schoolkids in 90s Poland. This is extremely not what I expected next from the studio whose debut game made Adam backtrack to kill his own dog "because the world is convincing and I didn't want to leave suffering animals lying around the place if I didn't have to." Come watch the trailer.
It's a cute setup. After watching football anime series Captain Tsubasa, our lad decides to get really into football. He and his PE-shy pals try to brush up their skills and pull together so they can win a local street tournament. It is a great scrappy view of playing football in the 90s with your mates, right down to living in fear of your friend's brother who wears his karate gi everywhere and might very well bite you.
Soccer Kids is all about positioning and momentum. Find positions that maximise your opportunities while minimising or blocking your opponent's potential plays. Go fast to break through their space or take the ball right off them, but be wary of gaining so much momentum that you lose flexibility on future moves or maybe even slam directly into someone and take a tumble. And think about how you can use all that against them too. Throw in bonus abilities like chipping the ball over someone or shouting insults to make them turn and face you, and you have a fun foundation for turn-based tactics. I've enjoyed what I've played so far, and I find Fifa pretty boring.
It looks good, too. The battle arenas are just detailed enough to capture a lived-in feel: the school gym
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