Is Football Manager the best escapism football game?

Football Manager

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We all know that gaming is about escaping the real world and stepping into a fantasy world. However, with some games, realism is what helps escapism. The one game that feels real but with the element of escapism is the Football Manager series. So, is it the best escapism game of all time?

The premise of the game

Ever wanted to be a football manager? This game will help you imagine the tolls of different aspects of being one. The series has been around since 1992 (under the Championship Manager name) and has hooked fans with the idea of being a football manager.

You can do many different things in the game, from challenges to managing your favourite and trying to emulate the current real-life manager. However, there is one thing you want to do: win everything you can win.

You control many aspects of the football club like transfers, tactics, training sessions, player morale, and more! The Football Manager series keeps on evolving each year that it is released, keeping fans on their toes and interested in the game.

Popular culture

The escapism is true and felt along with all players of the game. Many players share the stories of their rituals and habits of playing the game on social media outlets such as Twitter and Reddit. From habits such as wearing a suit for the cup final or sitting away from the computer when you have a touchline ban, or something as simple as grabbing a cup of tea and writing down your transfer targets instead of simply adding them to your shortlist.

People also relate to each other playing the game by watching YouTube and Twitch streamers who promote the game by doing different challenges set online or showcasing their favourite tactics…and corner routines. It will not be long before there are competitions where people will be signing up to new betting sites and betting on their favourite player to win in an eSports competition like they do with FIFA.

Gamers have their own language when talking to each other, as the gaming series has specific roles that players can set their players to. For example, a central defensive midfielder is not just simply a central defensive midfielder. Still, they could have a role of being a halfback, a ball-winning midfielder or a regista, just to name a few.

Can it translate into the real world?

Well, yes, it can. Back in 2008, Everton Football Club signed a deal with Sports Interactive to use a database that they had collated of players. Then manager David Moyes was fully behind the deal and the idea of finding players this way.

It has also been known that players and managers, despite being involved with football all the time, enjoy playing the game. People such as Antoine Griezmann, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ilkay Gundogan have all played the game on a regular basis.

So, if they want to escape into the football manager world, it is probably the best escapist gaming series out there!

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