After Arsenal’s stunning FA Cup success last weekend, only the Champions League final on Saturday separates soccer fans from the tedious abyss of endless transfer rumors and no competitive footballing action that is the summer months. However, with the latest entries in the big name franchises such as FIFA Mobile (Free) and PES 2017 (Free) dropping the (foot)ball with limited and incomplete takes on the soccer simulator genre, the door has opened for indie developers to take the initiative and provide the iOS iteration of the sport that The Beautiful Game deserves. Up steps Pixel Soccer to the penalty spot – taking influence from titles such as Sensible Soccer, Super Rock Games have created an accesisble yet deceptively complex football title that looks immensely promising, and I can’t wait to try it out when it launches on the App Store in the coming months.

Over the past few years there have been some relatively successful retro takes on football on the App Store such as Pixel Cup Soccer 16 ($0.99), and while Pixel Soccer may not be particularly innovative (especially in the naming department), I’ve been astonished by the intricate level of depth in Super Rock Games’ development blog on our forums. Whether it’s details on the kit designer, how the UI has taken influence from console FIFA titles, and even how a player’s kit will change when they transfer teams, it’s immediately evident that Pixel Soccer is a labor of love from committed soccer lovers, as opposed to a cheap cash in to capitalise on the sport’s worldwide popularity. The beautiful art style, which is extremely reminiscent of the brilliant 8bit-Football Twitter account, is merely the icing on the cake for Pixel Soccer. I’d highly recommend any fans of soccer/football/whatever else you may call the sport to read and keep an eye on the game’s forum thread for further development stories, and be sure to look out for Pixel Soccer on PC, iOS and Android later this year.