Simulations
Soccer simulation games have been popular for the last couple of decades, with titles such as Sensible Soccer and Match Day among the early favourites that let us take control of the players and compete against other human players or the computer. In fact, the FIFA series of titles by EA Sports holds the title of best-selling sports video game franchise, having sold well over 100 million units to date.
The FIFA 23 title released in 2022 will be the last under this name, as the agreement between EA Sports and FIFA has now ended. However, the franchise is expected to continue in 2023 under the name of EA Sports FC. UFL by Strikerz Inc seems set to be the main rival in 2023, with a skills-focussed model that means players can’t pay to boost their chances.
Soccer Slots
Another area of growth in recent years, soccer slots are casino games of chance where a soccer theme is used. This typically means that players look to complete a winning combination of images including soccer balls, players and goals, among other things.
These games often have special features such as free spins or bonus rounds, and some developers take the opportunity to carry on with the soccer theme during these features as they aim to appeal to different demographics. This site for a casino software provider confirms that they have more than 9000 different games, including a wide range of themes. While soccer themes make up a relatively small percentage of the overall slots collection on most casinos, they include popular games such as Football Star by Microgaming and Super Striker by NetEnt. Live casino games provider Evolution has also created a series of Football Studio games where players get to see the latest scores as they play table games with a live dealer.
Soccer Management Games
Taking control of a soccer team and guiding it to trophies is another way of playing that has become popular since the launch of Championship Manager by Eidos Interactive in 1992. This franchise was then renamed Football Manager and, briefly, Worldwide Soccer Manager, giving users the chance to sign players, set out their preferred formation and choose the training methods used.
2022 saw the release of Football Manager 2023 with a smarter gaming engine using artificial intelligence for more accurate results. Football Club Management 2023 was also brought out by Go Play Games Ltd, and the Soccer Manager 2023 app was released by Invincible Studios. Expect at least some of these games to have a new version brought out in 2023 but with 2024 in the title.
All of these different ways of playing soccer games should continue to be popular in 2023, and the upcoming release of new games in each of these categories means that more people are certain to give them a try.