This beautiful, intimate slice-of-life soccer story is about more than a boy and his ball—it’s a glimpse into a nation navigating tumult and uniting through a love for the sport.—App Store Editors
It’s 2001, and Ecuador is emerging from financial and political chaos. Yet tentative joy hums through the streets: The national soccer team is on the verge of qualifying for its first World Cup.
In despelote, you experience this galvanizing time through the eyes of Julián, a typical 8-year-old living in Ecuador’s capital, Quito. Dribbling your soccer ball through schoolyards and alleyways, you might pass it to another boy and start chatting, or boot it at a store window (and get scolded by the owner). Eavesdrop on adults as they go about their business to learn about their struggles and triumphs. Or just knock that traffic cone off the cinder-block wall with your precise punt.
Based on creator Julián Cordero’s own childhood, despelote artfully re-creates the Quito of his youth. Its streets are depicted by photographs Cordero fed through lo-fi duotone filters; all of the game’s characters are simple line drawings. The contrasting styles perfectly capture the way the feeling of childhood events are sometimes clearer in our memories than the details.
That said, details do matter in despelote. Julián’s kid-size dilemmas unfold against both a backdrop of uncertainty and a surge of national pride—and the sense that things just might turn out OK. Right down to its final whistle, despelote invites you to remember there’s a power that comes with having hope for the future.
Download despelote on Mac.
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Quick tip
Kick your ball at everyone and everything. You never know what might happen! And if a grumpy old man walks off with it, try swiping another from the older kids down the street—just be prepared to run!
Fun fact
Much of the game’s audio was recorded on location in Quito, including unscripted conversations among friends and family and the banter of kids playing soccer.
Meet the creator
Seven years in the making, despelote is the semi-autobiographical work of Julián Cordero and artist-composer Sebastián Valbuena. While living in New York City, Cordero joined a pickup soccer league and appreciated the connection he felt playing with strangers. This experience paved the way for despelote.