Soccer Blast Pro Soccer Game (2014)

SOCCER BLAST is designed to bridge the gap between highly detailed soccer games that play in the 90-120 minute range and quick-play games which are primarily designed to generate realistic scores. PLAAY Games has taken the basic game engine from its hockey and lacrosse games, and modified it to capture the more refined nuances of classic football. The result: a sports board game that gives fans everything they love about watching soccer, captured in a 30-45 minute game window.

Despite the quick playing time, SOCCER BLAST provides surprising detail and the genuine sense of witnessing a full, realistic football match from start to finish. Individual players' true-to-life abilities are captured simply but realistically, using a series of easy-to-understand symbols and descriptive qualities. These individual performances synch together to create realistic team results that will make you feel like you're in the stands watching the game for real!

SOCCER BLAST was created in such a way as to place an emphasis on story and context. Yes, the statistics are important, and we think you'll be pleased with the numerical results. However, this game is more than just numbers. The usual assortment of drama-inducing elements and game mechanics that PLAAY Games have become known for have been built into this game as well. For example, referees can affect play--and BE affected by play. If somebody says the wrong thing to a ref, his team might have to pay for it. In SOCCER BLAST, you'll occasionally see a subjective referee call that should have gone the other way, and you'll experience that palpable sense of joy, or disgust, depending on your leaning!

The game offers many other features. The advantage of playing on one's home pitch is very real, but not over-stated. Injuries will play a factor, and you may be chagrined to see your star player carted off the field with the match hanging in the balance. Fatigue is a factor, too--you'll face the same challenge with late-game substitutions that a real soccer coach faces, and you'll need to plan accordingly. And, the game comes with a full complement of unusual and rare results waiting to add memorable twists to your tabletop sports archives.

Finally, SOCCER BLAST Pro Soccer Game allows you to rate your own teams with its "How-To" guide, made available at a nominal extra charge. The world is filled with soccer teams and every country has its own league or leagues. Ordinarily, this poses a problem for game companies because while many of these leagues have devoted fan followings, they're not large enough to warrant the time and energy of creating cards for them. If you have your OWN favorite team or league, you won't have to depend on PLAAY Games to make cards for you—you'll be able to make them yourself!