There’s a moment in Despelote where you’re not sure if you’re playing a game or remembering your own past. Developed by Julián Cordero and Sebastián Valbuena, this deeply personal slice of life just landed on Steam, and it might be the most human game you’ll play this year.

Set in Quito, Ecuador, in the late ’90s, Despelote blends low-stakes mischief and ambient nostalgia into a warm, slightly surreal coming-of-age story — one where football isn’t just a game, it’s a language. A cultural heartbeat. A way of dreaming.

It’s Not Just About the Ball

On paper, Despelote is a “football game.” In practice, it’s more like Skate meets My Summer Vacation by way of a radio documentary. You wander the city, chat with locals, and — yes — dribble a ball around town. But don’t expect a career mode or scoreboards. This is football as emotional texture.

Dialogue snippets are sourced from real recordings. The city is a sketchy 3D playground of concrete and memory. The result is hauntingly effective — like flipping through an old photo album you never knew you had.

1998 Was Everything

The game takes place in 1998, the year Ecuador almost qualified for the World Cup. For the country, it was a pivotal moment. For the young boy you play, it’s a way of anchoring memories — school crushes, nagging teachers, parents shouting at the TV.

There’s a melancholy undercurrent throughout, though the game never sinks into sadness. Instead, it’s content to dwell in the in-between spaces: the echoes of laughter in a tunnel, the scrape of a football on tile, the low hum of a radio behind a shop counter.

The Devs

The development of Despelote began as a personal project by Ecuadorian game designer Julián Cordero, who sought to capture his childhood experiences with soccer in Quito. He collaborated with animator and musician Sebastián Valbuena to bring this vision to life. Over the years, the team expanded to include producer Gabe Cuzzillo, as well as Ian Berman and Niall Tessier-Lavigne, who contributed to sound design and programming.

The Indie Gem You Didn’t Know You Needed

Despelote is short. It’s strange. And it’s not for everyone. But if you’re the kind of player who lives for experimental narrative games — the Kentucky Route Zero types — this might be your next obsession.

Despelote is available now on Steam for Windows and is published by Panic. Play it with headphones. You’ll thank me later.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2367820/despelote/