Despelote is derived from the Spanish word pelote, which means ball, and from a saying in Spanish that indicates ‘this is a mess.’ The game embodies that sentiment. You play as a kid, kicking a ball around the park, creating a mess, and being mischievous. If you love football and played it as a child, you are going to adore this game. You can pass, run, and dribble as an eight-year-old, reliving your childhood football memories. Let’s explore why Despelote might be 2025’s most unique indie football game.
What is Despelote?
Despelote focuses on the culture of football. The game is set in a specific time and place: Quito, Ecuador, during the FIFA World Cup 2002, when Ecuador qualified for the first time (4 November 2001), and the entire nation went wild. Following a major economic crisis in 1999, qualifying for the World Cup brought a ray of hope to the nation. Football has a significant impact on the country.
Julian Cordero, the programmer and designer of Despelote, experienced this moment as a child, and out of his love for football and gaming, he, along with his friends, brought this game to life.
Despelote Gameplay
Despelote is a first-person game emphasizing exploration, mischief, fun, carefree memories, and childhood. It’s truly about being young and not understanding a word of what the adults are saying.
Although it’s a football-related game, you never play a football match. The ball is physical and reacts to you, allowing you to play with it around the park and neighborhood with friends. People populate the park, going about their day – some having picnics, others walking their dogs – and you can interact with them through the ball.
Most importantly, the conversations that people are having are improvised conversations recorded with the friends and family of the devs. The game is really about being young and not understanding a word of what the adults are talking about.
Despelote’s style uses a combination of 2D hand-drawn characters and 3D backgrounds, which are based on real photographs. In this context, 3D scanning was also used to bring some parts of the place to the game and make it look real. It’s not a replica of Quito but rather a composite memory created by the developers of that particular time. The hand-drawn elements – such as a teddy bear, notes, and people – are interactive and presented in black and white, while the background reflects a fuzzy memory with a grainy aesthetic in various colors like red and blue.
Despelote Features
- A Personal Story: A heartfelt and nostalgic narrative drawn from real childhood memories of the devs.
- Play at your own pace: Wander freely through a vibrant town filled with activities, people to meet, and playful mischief to uncover.
- Satisfying football: Kick around a physics-based ball that feels just right, all from a first-person perspective.
- Funny characters: Encounter a colorful cast of characters who speak with humor and authenticity, making every interaction memorable.
- Real sense of place: Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Ecuador with authentic audio and photos captured on location.
- Graphics: A true blend of 2D and 3D art, incorporating black and white yet colorful, grainy aesthetics.
Release Date and Platforms
Despelote is releasing today, 1 May 2025. This first-person Indie football game is now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Run around, kick the ball, and interact as much as you want, because the game is all yours to play.
Summary
Despelote is all about football and childhood. You can interact, run, and play with people and friends around the city. Explore what the streets and parks of Quito have in store for you, set around the time of Ecuador’s first qualification for the World Cup in the 2000s. This game is pure nostalgia and a great way to see Quito through the eyes of the developers, and might just be the best football indie game.
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