10 AMAZING Recent Video Games NO ONE Saw Coming
1. Despelote
And finally we have Despelote, an endlessly charming walking simulator which just so happens to be about the most unexpected of things - football.
Inspired by the real-life experiences of developer Julián Cordero, Despelote takes place in Ecuador's capital city of Quito as an eight-year-old Julián cheers on the national football team's history-making qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Even though Despelote is barely 90 minutes long, it so powerfully captures the potential for sport - and football in particular - to unite communities and change lives.
Throughout the experience, we see how Julián's young life was shaped by the act of kicking a ball, leading to a fantastically impactful final sequence.
The game also benefits from a striking, high-contrast art style, fusing 3D environments and 2D hand-drawn characters in disarming fashion, as well as outstanding voice acting from the ensemble cast.
Despelote is exactly the sort of relaxing, affecting, low-demand indie you'll probably want to play after spending a few-dozen hours with a behemoth like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.