Overview

• Despelote, developed by Julián Cordero and Sebastián Valbuena, is now available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, with a Nintendo Switch version planned for later.
• The game blends first-person soccer mechanics with a semi-autobiographical narrative set during Ecuador's historic 2002 World Cup qualification campaign.
• Its unique visual style combines digitized photographs of Quito with hand-drawn silhouettes and paper-cutout characters, creating a striking, handmade aesthetic.
• Critics praise the game's narrative intimacy and artistic ambition but note its limited gameplay objectives, aimless structure, and occasional technical glitches.
• Despelote explores themes of youth, nostalgia, and community, weaving Ecuador's political and economic backdrop into its depiction of childhood play.