Retro Bowl College

Retro Bowl College is a single-player sport game with good gameplay, taking about 5 hours to beat. As a college football coach, manage tight budgets, guide young players through college life, and scout for pro football superstars, all while turning your school into the greatest football college. The game is a spin-off of the popular Retro Bowl, offering a nostalgic football experience with modern management challenges.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,346 reviews

gameplay31 positive mentions

monetization17 negative mentions

The college football setting adds a fantastic twist to the gameplay, making it more engaging.
The ability to customize team colors and names enhances the overall experience.
The game mechanics are solid, providing a fun and addictive gameplay similar to the original Retro Bowl.

The GPA system is overly punishing, leading to frequent player suspensions and making it hard to maintain a competitive team.
Many team uniforms and colors are inaccurate, which detracts from the authenticity of the game.
The lack of a simulation feature makes the game feel tedious, as players must manually play every game.

gameplay
83 mentions
37 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, with many praising its fun, intuitive mechanics reminiscent of the original Retro Bowl, and the added depth of college football dynamics. However, some players express frustration with certain mechanics, such as the GPA system and dynamic difficulty, which can lead to unbalanced experiences. Overall, while the core gameplay remains solid, there are calls for improvements and additional features to enhance the experience.
- “The simple mechanics and intuitive team management are really nice.”
- “Fun gameplay and provides a challenge at higher difficulties.”
- “The amount of depth in both levels of Division 1 college football with rankings and teams, the increased difficulty with managing a college team vs a pro one, and the same old simple but super effective playing mechanics, it's a wish come true.”
- “The game mechanics are messed up and screw my game over at the last second every time.”
- “Enjoyable and well made as expected, but what's the point of 'dynamic difficulty' in a game meant to at least somewhat simulate football, when your idea of 'difficult gameplay' is just the other team scoring 50 points per game on a defense that's 2 stars better than the offense.”
- “The game is fun and an interesting take on Retro Bowl, but nothing about the gameplay changed, and the game just seems rushed.”
monetization
29 mentions
38 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
59 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is largely praised for its lack of intrusive ads, with many users noting that it features minimal or no advertisements, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate that the game does not rely on aggressive microtransactions, allowing them to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money, although a small optional upgrade is available to support the developers. Overall, the game is seen as a refreshing departure from typical cash grab models prevalent in many mobile games.
- “The 99 cent upgrade is worth it, plus, there's no ads, so just support the devs!”
- “Doesn't require the grind or constant microtransactions of so many other games these days.”
- “Downloaded this a few months ago and I love the game, there's also no ads which means you could play 2 hours without interruptions, but overall, this is a good game that I personally think should have more downloads.”
- “Liked the original game but regret purchasing this one; it's just a lazy copy-paste cash grab.”
- “Forced clicking on the ads is super annoying as the 'X' is fake and doesn't work.”
- “It's really annoying to have ads, and when you press the 'X', it takes me to a website or the app store.”
graphics
18 mentions
56 % positive mentions
28 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are frequently praised for their retro style, reminiscent of classic titles like Tecmo Bowl, and are described as smooth, vibrant, and enjoyable. Many users appreciate the pixel art and overall aesthetic, noting that it enhances their gaming experience, although some express a desire for more innovative features beyond just graphic design. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's appeal, making it visually engaging for players.
- “The graphics are good and make me feel good 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯”
- “Love the graphics and the fun player names.”
- “The game is amazing, and the pixel graphics are fantastic.”
- “The graphics are too slow and the throwing is far too sensitive.”
- “Really good but there's not enough features that are new other than graphic designing.”
- “The play, or more like the graphics, is like the old Tecmo Bowl... I say the graphics because the play isn't like it at all, only the retro graphics.”
music
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with players praising the new soundtrack and the nostalgic touch of the original retro bowl theme during key moments like scoring and winning. However, some users expressed a desire for more consistent musical accompaniment during gameplay, particularly on defense and for smaller plays. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the fun and excitement of the game, despite a few minor complaints.
- “I love the new soundtrack, the band when you score a touchdown, and when you win a game the drummers play the original retro bowl theme in the background, which I thought was so cool.”
- “The music is still amazing!”
- “I love the soundtrack; it's super fun!”
- “So fun but I only didn't give you a five-star rating because I don't like the music when I score, but everything else is so fun!”
- “It feels a little weird when you throw a bomb down the field and make a 20-yard play, but there's no cheering or music, or anything unless you avoid someone or end the play.”
- “I also wish there was music when you're playing defense.”
stability
9 mentions
22 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report smooth performance similar to the original, several users experience frequent freezes, particularly when navigating menus, and occasional glitches. Some players note that loading times can be slow, but a few report no issues at all.
- “The game is great, and it runs great, just like the original.”
- “No glitches.”
- “However, moving through the menus always freezes up my game for a second.”
- “The game is awesome but it freezes a lot.”
- “It's okay, slow loading times and freezes when choosing menus on S23 Ultra.”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it's possible to progress without spending money, the repetitive tasks, such as managing students and customizing teams, can become tedious and time-consuming. Many express frustration over the lack of efficiency in team management and the overall grind required to achieve success, leading to a sense of monotony.
- “Having to basically babysit every single student every single season gets very tedious and is a huge gold waster.”
- “The game is so tedious you can put so much work into your team and you only win like two games.”
- “Please add them back; the game is so tedious.”
story
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
Players express a desire for a more engaging and structured story mode that allows for single-player experiences, including choices about schools and progression to professional play. Many find the current narrative elements, particularly the GPA mechanics and player troubles, to be tedious and suggest incorporating more positive storylines and character development. Overall, there is a strong call for a richer narrative experience that enhances the gameplay and emotional investment in the characters.
- “I would love a 'story' mode where you get to be a single player and choose what school you want to go to and go into the pros, where you would be able to take that player and put it in the Retro Bowl series.”
- “Create a storyline, play a handful of years on this game, then go to Retro Bowl for a 'storyline' build-up.”
- “The whole GPA thing is a bit more annoying than it is fun, and there should be more positive story bits between games instead of just players getting in trouble.”
- “Either make your game on the field or management; if I'm going to have to read that much, it feels like you're trying to give Stephen King a run for his money in story-making for a video game.”
- “I would love a 'story' mode where you get to be a single player, choose what school you want to go to, and then go into the pros, allowing you to take that player and put them in the Retro Bowl series.”
- “Create a storyline that allows players to play a handful of years in this game before transitioning to Retro Bowl for a storyline build-up.”
optimization
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the smooth performance and lack of ads, some report lag issues, particularly on specific devices like the Pixel 6. Recent updates have improved stability and reduced crashes, but there are lingering concerns about potential scripted flaws affecting gameplay.
- “After the update, the crashes seemed fixed and the game runs smoothly.”
- “Not too hard, not too easy; fun and exciting, but the best thing of all is no ads offline and the in-app purchase you don't need. I've loved every game this man has made; he's made nothing but masterpieces.”
- “I love the original Retro Bowl, but this version is very unoptimized.”
- “Laggy on my Pixel 6 for some strange reason, but I'm sure it can be optimized.”
- “But then now I feel that the developers and editors of plays made are purposely scripting flaws in my team's performance.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The college football atmosphere is highly praised for its vibrant and energetic environment, enhanced by the presence of a band that adds to the excitement and noise of the crowd. Overall, it creates an engaging and memorable experience for fans.
- “The college football atmosphere is truly amazing.”
- “Adding a band to the crowd with its noise really enhances the college atmosphere.”
- “The addition of a band to the crowd really enhances the college atmosphere.”
- “The overall ambiance feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real sense of immersion.”
- “The game fails to capture the vibrant energy of a college setting, leaving the atmosphere feeling dull.”
humor
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in unexpected and quirky gameplay moments, such as bizarre scoring situations that lead to amusing outcomes. These lighthearted experiences contribute to the overall enjoyment of the game, showcasing its fun and unpredictable nature.
- “It's really fun so far! I just had a weird experience: I was at my opponent's 40, ran the ball with my QB, fumbled, but I recovered, and it ended up being a touchdown for me. I'm not sure how that happened, but I wanted to share that funny experience.”
replayability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
While the game is enjoyable, many users feel it lacks sufficient replayability, suggesting that once completed, there is little incentive to play again.
- “Overall a fun game, but lacks replayability.”
- “Once you complete the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The game feels repetitive after the first playthrough, making it hard to return.”