Despelote is heading to Switch, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 1. Despelote is a super stylish soccer game that’s secretly about life in the Ecuadorian city of Quito in 2001, and it comes from local developers Julián Cordero and Sebastián Valbuena, and published by Panic.
You play as 8-year-old Julián, and spend your time kicking the ball, meeting people and exploring life during Ecuador’s economic recovery just ahead of the unifying 2002 World Cup. The in-game city comprises actual photographs of places around Quito, but the backgrounds are covered in a layer of high-contrast grit, while people and the soccer ball stand out as stark line drawings. The audio was recorded on location, too, and the result is a game that looks and sounds like a soothing memory.
Despelote was announced in 2023 and originally due to land in 2024, but it now has a firm date of May 1. It’s already picked up a handful of accolades, including four nominations at the 2025 Independent Games Festival. There’s a demo on Steam, if you’re intrigued.
Trending Products
Acer KB272 EBI 27″ IPS Full HD (1920 x 1080) Zero-Frame Gaming Office Monitor | AMD FreeSync Technology | Up to 100Hz Refresh | 1ms (VRB) | Low Blue Light | Tilt | HDMI & VGA Ports,Black
HP 27h Full HD Monitor – Diagonal – IPS Panel & 75Hz Refresh Rate – Smooth Screen – 3-Sided Micro-Edge Bezel – 100mm Height/Tilt Adjust – Built-in Dual Speakers – for Hybrid Workers,Black
HP Notebook Laptop, 15.6″ HD Touchscreen, Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor, 32GB RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, Webcam, Type-C, HDMI, SD Card Reader, Wi-Fi, Windows 11 Home, Silver
NETGEAR 4-Stream WiFi 6 Router (R6700AX) – Security Features, AX1800 Wireless Speed (Up to 1.8 Gbps), Covers up to 1,500 sq. ft., 20 devices
Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight
SAMSUNG 27-Inch S43GC Series Business Essential Computer Monitor, IPS Panel, Height Adjustable Stand, Triple Input, New DisplayPort, 100Hz, AMD FreeSync, Advanced Eye Care LS27C432GANXZA, 2024
