It would be a reasonable assumption to make that there are only so many variations on football games you can make. Ultimately, no matter how many bells, whistles, or rocket powered cars you throw at it, it always comes down to getting a ball in a net and shouting SCOOOOOORE. Except in the case of Nutmeg!, a “nostalgic deckbuilding football manager” which looks like it features more faxing than any sort of kicking, but I mean that in an endearing way, promise.
In Nutmeg, you are the gaffer (the head honcho, the manager, the coach for the non-Brits out there) of a football team. The ultimate goal is take your team on an apparently 20-year-long journey throughout 1980s and ’90s England, and presumably win a few matches. There are two modes to playthrough: Broadcast, which is more casual and sees a season wrapped up in around 90 minutes across 10 games, and Hardcore, which ups the match count to 50.
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Then there’s the main card game itself. When clicking on your deck, you’re presented with your current action, and three potential actions. Cards come with an “Us” or “Them” signifier which tells you whether the move is directed towards your own team or the opposing one, with the most favourable outcome for your team listed at the bottom, and the most favourable for your opponent at the top. Each card has a certain chance of being put into play, all of which can be altered by using boost cards. For example, you might play a card called Goal Rush to increase the chances of scoring.
There’s a lot more to it than that too, but perhaps it’s a tad too in the weeds to explain every last detail. But you can also train up your team players, make money via merchandise and sponsorships, and even make transfers – that’s where the fax comes in. It’s such a detailed looking card game that if it weren’t for the aspects like training, I could see it as a real, physical trading card game. Maybe Topps Now cards could do with a rival!
In any case, Nutmeg looks grand for those of you that like football but feel the need for something a bit fresher and less about running around some grass. And it’s out today! You can pick it up on Steam right here.
