2025-05-02

Despelote review: A poignant memoir masquerading as a soccer game

Despelote is a living memory. Julián Cordero, the game's co-creator, invites players to spend a few hours in the city of Quito, Ecuador, in the early 2000s, and experience a nationwide soccer fever from the perspective of his own childhood. Wrapped in layers of static and shadow, Despelote follows an 8-year-old Cordero as he interacts with his family, attends school and kicks a ball around with friends. Pivotal national events, revealed in news reports and overheard conversations, color the game's runtime. But its focus remains squarely on Cordero's experience — a charmingly self-centered child viewing the world from hip height.

In Despelote, it’s the summer of 2001 and Ecuador is on the verge of qualifying for its first-ever World Cup, whic [...]