NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager

Nutmeg! is what happens when football management and card battles collide in the best possible way. It’s weird, charming, and way more fun once you finally figure out what you’re doing in both the office and on the pitch. Part spreadsheet, part sizzling highlight reel, Sumo Digital’s latest oozes late 90’s nostalgia and bleeding-edge creativity.

Despite limitations in its simulation systems, NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager remains an enjoyable experience within its straightforward and simplified premise. The contrast between simulated and broadcast matches highlights its strongest ideas, particularly the deckbuilding mechanics, where the game truly excels. Overall, it works better as a casual pastime than a deep simulator, with fast progression, short seasons, and accessible systems that keep the experience light and approachable.

NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager isn't exactly a management sim—even though that is, in effect, what you have to do—nor is it strictly a deckbuilder—even though that is ultimately how you take to the pitch. It defies easy classification and isn't immediately intuitive; yet, in the end—without any unnecessary frills—you simply start playing, and you won't be able to tear yourself away.

Nutmeg! is a management game that is neither particularly deep nor complex. It draws much of its appeal from a deliberately vintage interface, but anyone looking for a worthy alternative to Football Manager will undoubtedly be disappointed. That said, players who click with its gameplay will find it incredibly hard to pull themselves away from the screen, thanks to its excellent sense of progression.

If you happen to both love management-type games and deckbuilders, but are also a massive football fan, then I do think that this is the title for you! If you’re anyone like myself, give it a try – you won’t immediately become a fan of Arsenal, but maybe you’ll be curious to check out more of what football has to offer.

Big fans of professional soccer or management sims may find more to like in Nutmeg! than I did, but as for me, I’m putting in my resignation from the team.

The evocative presentation carries Nutmeg! a long way, particularly for gamers of a certain age. So add an extra star to the rating above if you’re a child of the 80s.