despelote

About

despelote is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Julián Cordero and was released on May 1, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Despelote is a single-player role-playing soccer game that immerses you in the vibrant streets of Quito through the eyes of eight-year-old Julián. Dribble, pass, and kick a physics-based ball while exploring a rich, emotional story filled with humor, genuine characters, and atmospheric audio-visual elements capturing Ecuador’s spirit. Experience a masterful blend of gameplay and heartfelt narrative.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 375 reviews

story37 positive mentions

monetization2 negative mentions

Despelote offers a unique and heartfelt narrative experience that captures the essence of childhood and the cultural significance of football in Ecuador.
The game's art style and sound design create an immersive atmosphere, evoking nostalgia and a strong sense of place.
Players appreciate the personal storytelling and the ability to explore everyday life through the eyes of a child, making it relatable and emotionally impactful.

Some players find the gameplay mechanics clunky and the interactions limited, leading to moments of frustration.
The game's short length (around 2 hours) may leave some players wanting more content and depth.
Certain narrative elements, such as the fourth wall break towards the end, may disrupt immersion for some players.

story
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
62%
3%
The story of "Despelote" is a deeply personal and nostalgic exploration of childhood in Ecuador during the early 2000s, centered around the nation's hopes for World Cup qualification. It is praised for its unique storytelling approach, combining environmental narrative with a charming art style and emotional depth, though some players found the pacing and structure less engaging. Overall, it resonates with those who appreciate intimate, slice-of-life narratives that evoke a sense of place and community.
- “Despelote connected with me on a deeply personal level because it is a deeply personal game, telling a touching story of what it was like to be there in Ecuador during the early 2000s.”
- “The game excels at environmental storytelling and narrative, with a semi-autobiographical story that feels very personal.”
- “Despelote tells such a simple, unique, and personal story that I just love.”
- “I couldn't help but feel completely detached from the story after this point.”
- “The story fragments are too disconnected from each other to make you feel invested in the characters.”
- “Despelote is 30 minutes of story forced into 2 hours of a game through incredibly slow actions, dialogue, and forced waiting.”
graphics
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and striking art style, which blends abstract and nostalgic elements to create an immersive experience that resonates with players. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke childhood memories through its visually captivating design, complemented by a fitting soundtrack. While some find the art style occasionally disorienting, the overall consensus is that it enhances the storytelling and emotional depth of the semi-autobiographical narrative.
- “The art style is an amazing mix of abstract, gritty photorealism, viewed through a rose-tinted glass of nostalgia, with single clear memories drawn on top in stark contrast.”
- “The fuzzy, dreamlike visuals and audio so effectively do their job to mirror hazy and fuzzy nostalgic memories of our protagonist during different stages of his life, with his love for football as the core thread tying everything together.”
- “Despelote visualizes this in an almost perfect manner with its hazy, psychedelic art style.”
- “The art style is really annoying, like someone gave a bunch of drugs to my computer; sometimes it's a fever dream, sometimes just a little kid's drawing.”
- “The art style is pretty alright, mind you, just the story didn't really interest me whatsoever and the gameplay is nonexistent.”
- “Visually, it's nice, as you can see, it has two-color 3D graphics, but the characters and interactive objects are hand-drawn and animated.”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
70%
6%
The gameplay in "Despelote" is characterized by its simplicity and focus on exploration, conversation, and light soccer mechanics, creating a unique narrative experience rather than a traditional game. Players engage in casual soccer interactions and wander through a vibrant world, with the mechanics serving more as a means to enhance storytelling than to provide challenge. While some find the controls awkward and the gameplay limited, many appreciate its emotional depth and the way it captures the essence of childhood and cultural context.
- “The core gameplay is simple, wandering around, playing soccer with friends, and listening to conversations going on around you.”
- “It does something magical; it feels like the perfect mix of movie and game - the gameplay is intuitive, engaging, and fun, and you never really lose momentum in the story - there are always things to do and conversations to hear.”
- “The gameplay is inventive and fun with every kick of the ball.”
- “Gameplay is a bit awkward with unwieldy controls, but I enjoyed this warm, if brief experience.”
- “The gameplay is limited to short sections where you can move freely, but interactions are minimal.”
- “The gameplay is just kick footballs with the right stick really (controller), nothing special.”
emotional
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Despelote" is widely praised for its deeply personal and relatable storytelling, capturing the essence of childhood and national pride in Ecuador during the early 2000s. Players describe the game as touching, heartfelt, and nostalgic, often evoking strong emotional responses, including tears, through its unique blend of humor, warmth, and poignant narrative. The game's visual simplicity and engaging mechanics enhance its emotional depth, making it a memorable experience that resonates with a broad audience.
- “Despelote connected with me on a deeply personal level because it is a deeply personal game, telling a touching story of what it was like to be there in Ecuador during the early 2000s.”
- “It's an emotional story about a nation's hopes, the pressure we put on youth, and everyone just trying to be seen and understood.”
- “Not many games can balance telling a heartfelt story while allowing players to express some semblance of themselves through the mechanics, and I've found Despelote navigates that beautifully in crafting this memory of place and time with as much life and love as possible.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
26%
11%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and emotional depth of the experience. Reviewers highlight the soothing and ambient soundtrack, which beautifully complements the art style and storytelling, creating a nostalgic and immersive vibe. Many express a strong desire for the soundtrack's release, indicating its significant impact on their enjoyment of the game.
- “Fantastic presentation and music and very sincere storytelling.”
- “The audio and music of this game are absolutely phenomenal.”
- “The soundtrack is lovely and masterfully sets the mood of living the childhood of a kid who loves soccer.”
- “Although I appreciate the art style and music, there is literally no 'game' here.”
- “Some of the dialogue is intentionally disorienting, and many scenes are carried by a longing, nostalgic acoustic guitar soundtrack.”
- “My favorite aspects were the graphical style and the music, and the freedom you have to just vibe with the game is perfect.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The game's atmosphere is vividly captured, immersing players in the nostalgic essence of childhood and the cultural backdrop of early 2000s Latin America, enhanced by stunning camera work and evocative music. While some may find the pacing slow at times, the overall experience is described as magical and deeply engaging, particularly for those with a personal connection to the sport and setting. The developers are praised for their ability to convey this rich atmosphere, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The camera work here is astonishing, peeling off layers of the game with incredible transitions, letting you soak in the atmosphere of each match day but always pacing you towards the next scene.”
- “Loved this short experience, heavy on atmosphere and childlike innocence.”
- “Pure magic in world design, atmosphere, music, and tone.”
- “While that may seem like a simple and boring setting, the game manages to captivate the atmosphere and life of the young boy so well that you feel like you experienced it at least partially yourself.”
- “It manages to draw you into its atmosphere and make you feel nostalgic about your childhood and football-related memories in a way that only watching old football clips on YouTube does for me.”
- “People who can understand what it means to be captivated by a sport and are familiar with the cultural atmosphere of early 2000s Latin America may find the game impactful, but for anyone outside that experience, it might not deliver the same impact and could fall short of expectations.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as warm, touching, and deeply human, effectively blending funny moments with emotional depth. Players appreciate the cleverness of the dialogue and interactions, which often evoke laughter while also reflecting on childhood and cultural nuances. Overall, the humor is a significant aspect of the experience, contributing to its charm and relatability.
- “Despelote is a rare kind of narrative game—quiet, grounded, funny, and deeply human—built not around dramatic twists or mechanical showmanship, but around memory, place, and childhood perspective.”
- “Even if you rely on subtitles, the warmth, humor, and cultural specificity come through unmistakably.”
- “Full of plenty of warm, funny, and human interactions, this game feels like a big blanket.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as an over-hyped cash grab, with users noting intrusive advertisements that detract from the experience, such as an ad playing before a key moment in the game.
- “But even then, it's just an over-hyped cash grab.”
- “It's kind of funny and bittersweet that the only snippet the developers could find of Ecuador’s decisive goal against Uruguay with local commentary had an advertisement playing right before the buildup to the goal.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences occasional bugs that may require players to restart sections, but overall, stability is generally satisfactory.
- “It is buggy sometimes :(”
- “Once I had to restart a section two times because it was a little buggy, but otherwise everything is good!”