Sports management simulator games appeal to us because it allows us to take control of our favorite sports teams or players and see where we could take them if it were up to us to make those big decisions. Here are four of the best sports management games you should play right now.
Football Manager
Perhaps setting the benchmark for what a sports manager simulation game should be, Football Manager is one of the most important and popular franchises in sports management simulations. It’s been around since 1992 and each year it gets more detailed and more realistic. It’s fully licensed and includes real-world players, teams and data from over 100 leagues from all around the world, including Major League Soccer. It’s so in-depth that you might feel like you need a GIS Lenovo PC at times for the amount of computation this game does as you play. Thanks to its active and dedicated fanbase, if it doesn’t have a league you want to play, there’s almost certainly a community-made addon that will add it.
Out of the Park Baseball
If football isn’t your sport, and you’re looking for something a bit more homegrown, then Out of the Park Baseball might be more your speed. You’ll find the real-world player and team data from the MLB, MiLB and MLBPA, so it’s easy to immerse yourself in the world of professional baseball. There are many classic teams too, so you’re free to let your creativity roam free when you take up the management of a team in Out of the Park Baseball.
Formula One Manager
A new entry to the sports manager simulators this year, and probably one of the nicest looking management games you’ll ever come across is F1 Manager 2022. It’s another fully licensed game, with teams and drivers from not only Formula One, but from the F2 and F3 feeder series too. You’ll take on the role of the team principal and be responsible for budget, staffing, car development and setup and actively need to manage the strategies during all the race weekend sessions. Thanks to procedurally generated drivers, you can play an infinite number of seasons with whichever team you want to. Unfortunately, you can’t create your own team, but it feels like this feature is likely to be added to this incredibly in-depth racing management sim.
ESport Manager
If pure athletic sports aren’t for you, and you prefer your games to be a bit more digital, you can always enjoy a bit of esports management thanks to 2018’s aptly titled Esport Manager. You won’t find much in the way of officially licensed teams and players here, but this little gem isn’t shy to expose you to some pretty challenging financial and player management. Give it a try if you fancy getting off the field and into the basement.
A good sports manager game can immerse you so deeply into the world of your chosen sport that it can sometimes feel like you’re living it. You’ll also develop a much deeper appreciation and understanding of the sports you love.
