NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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NUTMEG! is a nostalgic football manager game with a deckbuilding twist, set in the '80s and '90s. Relive the days when the tackles were as hard as the mullets were long and football was about football.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager is a simulation, football (soccer) and deckbuilding game
developed by Sumo Digital and Sumo Digital Academy
and published by Secret Mode.
Released on March 26th 2026 is available only on Windows
in 8 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Portuguese - Brazil, Turkish and Polish.
It has received 301 reviews of which 276 were positive and 25 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.4 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 24.99€ on Steam, but you can find it for 14.99€ on Eneba.
The Steam community has classified NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor: Intel i5-8250U or AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Integrated Graphics (Intel UHD 620 / Iris 655 or AMD Vega 6)
- Storage: 8 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD Required
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
This game is almost there. The retro aesthetics are excellent, the core gameplay loop is much more complex than it seems at first blush (sometimes you don't want to play every card!), and the thrill of already being at the gates of promotion at the end of my second season is addictive. Even in the current state, I would absolutely recommend this for the many of us who fall into the gap between overly simplified FC career modes and the overwhelming spreadsheets of FM. But there are some QOL upgrades from which this game would benefit and I hope the devs consider for future updates (although again, I would still recommend as-is and am already looking forward to my third season and my next team playthrough): 1. We should be able to set our lineup, including the sub(s). Having to fiddle with this for each match is increasingly obnoxious, especially when you realize you lost your delegated match because the game put your worst forward in the lineup instead of your newest signing. 2. Even after two full seasons, I still do not understand the mechanics that determine how many runs you get per half/match. As a result, I have had multiple matches with no runs on offense for an entire half despite being down multiple goals and a hand full of attacking cards. I know this relates to control in some fashion, but it would be nice if this were made clearer and there were even options for mid-match adjustments to push up/drop back depending on the scoreline. 3. It is hard to feel connected to my players with the pattern of "buy player, hold them for half a season, and then sell them as I cycle up in overall". I assume this falls off in higher divisions, but the joy of a road to glory is diminished when my team has been completely replaced over the course of two seasons. Some adjustments to how many players are available or more detailed stat tracking would help with building the "story" - although maybe I am unaware of how much real teams cycled through starters in the 80s. Regardless, there is something missing to capture that true immersion (you can't even name yourself!).
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This is filling the hole that FM26 has left. So there's a card game here sure, but that's not the X factor here. The devs have created a database that spans from the early 80's through to the 1990's. It's incredibly fun to be able to sign Ronaldo, Schevchenko, to your academy alongside Jamie Clapham in the same save you signed Sam Allardyce to play at CB. There's a couple of things I'd like to see tweeked. Some of the player ratings are just objectively wrong. Maradona A-?! Figo A-? But Jamie Redknapp A+? Are we seriously saying Figo and Maradona are worse than Jamie Redknapp? On the other hand, I do love that some of the players who never quite reached their potential still have high potential, that gives it a really fun "what if" scenario and adds to the replayability. I've given this feedback in the forums, but this game NEEDS a history tab. I want to see all my stats, top scorers, top appearances, best XI(even if its just highest rated players), top fee paid and received, most clean sheets, oldest player, youngest, etc etc etc. Whatever stats you can throw at me I want them. Same with being able to see previous league tables. Final thought. Please let me look at other sides squads. They obviously are there, so let me go look at them. I'd love to be able to headhunt players without needing to broadcast the game. The fun here is the management side not the card game. Where the card game may be improved, if you could "buy" packs with the money you make and be able to have set cards etc. Make it more of a deckbuilder than it is. But I understand this is a drastic rework of the game. Honestly, just make a management only sequel. I hope this game pops off eventually, even if its through word of mouth, its very good. EDIT: Adding this because its genuinely mental how much they've undersold their emergent game play database. The maniacs programmed every single transfer as well? Over like a 20 year period... I had noticed a few players playing at clubs they should be playing for, but wrote it off as coincidence. They actually made it so Blackburn got good in 1994 and won my title. They had the Blackburn side they should have had. Alan Shearer was playing for Southampton but just fired Blackburn to the title. I assume in 1996 he's about to join Newcastle unless I get him. Are you for real?! You need to be showing this database off front and centre, its ridiculous what you've made database wise here. Please double down on the management/database stuff, its such a massive selling point. So not only do players move randomly, they also move as intended as well? That's mental.
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12+ hours played (plus demo) I’m a football coach working at a Premier League club, (hardly important I just wanted to gloat😅) and I play a lot of management and deckbuilding games. Just for context. I’ve now got about 12 hours in, and the more I play it, the more I think a lot of the reviews are off. The main thing I keep seeing is people calling it shallow or saying the gameplay loop isn’t engaging. I don’t agree with that at all. A lot of the negative reviews are from people with very low playtime, and you can kind of tell they haven’t fully understood how the systems fit together. For example, I saw one review (around 3 hours played) saying the game doesn’t explain why teams gain possession or how to influence it. It does. Possession and number of runs are linked to control attributes, and more broadly your overall squad strength compared to the opponent plays a big part in how many runs you actually get in a match. Events are then resolved through player matchups using attack, defence, control and goalkeeping. Your squad absolutely affects how often you’re involved. Same with people saying you “run out of cards and can’t do anything.” That can happen, but it’s usually because of how you’ve managed things. The game leans heavily on: stamina management and momentum plays when you play your cards understanding the difference between tactical and training cards setting your formation and intensity so you’re actually drawing cards you can use If you don’t line those up properly, you’ll feel it. Tactically, there’s more going on than it looks at first. Your formation and intensity build your tactical deck, and you can adjust them between runs. That changes what you’re able to draw mid-match. If you’re up against a stronger team and don’t set up right, you’ll end up with cards that don’t match the situation. One of my favourite parts of the game is when you’re the underdog. You might only get a couple of runs all match, sometimes not even a proper attacking phase unless you create it yourself. I had a game as Oldham in my first season up against a much stronger AFC side. We barely had anything going forward all game. Then one moment — we win it back, go forward, I commit everything into that attack, burn through my cards, get the roll, score, and get the cards back. That was basically the game. There were no other attacking runs. That one moment decided it. On the flip side, I’ve also had it where I’ve committed everything, not got the momentum swing back, and then you’re left with nothing for the rest of the match. No cards to defend, no cards to attack. And you just have to sit in it. That’s the game. One good or bad decision can swing everything. It feels closer to football than people are giving it credit for. The card system itself has a bit more depth as well: Tactical cards are short-term, training cards can carry over Goals give momentum and can bring cards back temporarily Players have recipe traits that unlock combinations Staff influence how your deck develops So your squad isn’t just numbers, it actually shapes how your team plays. There’s also stamina, pitch context, and moments where if you don’t have the right card at the right time, you just can’t affect what’s happening. You do need to think ahead a bit. I’ve also seen people mention the limited number of matches you play each month. You can choose which ones to play, delegate others, and there’s a hardcore mode where you can play everything anyway. Only thing I’m not fully sold on is the one substitution limit, but I understand why it’s there. Historical accuracy, and the sub limit increases as the years progress in line with rule changes I history Overall, I think a lot of the negative feedback is coming from people who haven’t spent enough time with it or haven’t really clicked with how it works yet. If you like football and deckbuilders, it’s worth playing.
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Very satisfying to climb out of Division 4. Card game is fun, and optimizing your team is rewarding. PSA: your scouts can headhunt players once a month in addition to their normal scouting ability. Headhunting is probably the most effective way to improve your squad. You can headhunt when you broadcast a match: in the pregame screen you can look at the opponent's team and choose the player/s you want to headhunt. They will become available to view/sign next month when everything refreshes. Choose players who are young and affordable.
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Full disclosure: I was a play tester (unpaid/voluntary) for this game in 2025 and earlier this year. I did not, however, receive a free key - I bought it like everyone else, and I have no biases/loyalty towards the game or the developers. And I bought it on release day for a reason - this game is a gem. It's a totally unique deck-builder that's a love letter to retro football, but it doesn't require you to have any knowledge of football to enjoy. The first thing you notice is the aesthetic, which oozes 80s football. It's been done absolutely perfectly, hitting the right notes to make you feel like a 'gaffer', whilst adding little flourishes of comedy throughout. The UI is at first daunting because it has an LMA Manager-type system where you click things to get to things, rather than a Football Manager 'menus in menus' approach, but it doesn't take long to really get into a flow and you'll be flying the mouse cursor around your desk, ordering merch, building stadium upgrades and checking the available transfers in no time. The Broadcast mode is the default setting where you can fly through a season, cherry picking matches to play and simulating the rest. This mode has a few negatives - the simulated games can feel like a dice role because, as in real life, upset results happen. The meat of the game is in the Hardcore mode for me though, where you manage every game, can take the team up the leagues and so on. The game has a very clever ratings mechanic which forces you to constantly improve your team and decision-making in regards to what card combos to focus on, what areas of the pitch you need to address to stop leaking goals etc. I wouldn't say it's a difficult game as such - it's not easy either though; ironically the first playthrough is one of the hardest you'll have, because the teams available are the worst on offer. You gain 'Kit' after each season based on performance that is used as currency to unlock other teams - if you want to play as your favourite Premier Lea- I mean, Division One club, you have to earn them first. Is it the perfect deck-builder? No. It has quirks, the learning curve is a bit sloppy, some cards feel more redundant than others and the longer you play the more you see how certain things can be easily manipulated. But all I can say is that it's a game I've been impatiently waiting for to release, because you can throw hours into this thing and love every minute. Just like a football management game, you celebrate those last minute equalisers, you hold yoru head at conceding penalties... and you combine that with the joy of a really good card game where you are developing that perfect hand of cards to pull off the combos at just the right moment. It's just a very good, very solid game, one that's very original in its' concept and excellent in its' execution. It won't be for everyone, but if it does get its' hooks into you it's likely to end up as one of your favourite "I've got an hour to spare, I'll throw that game on" titles.
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Frequently Asked Questions
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager is currently priced at 24.99€ on Steam.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 24.99€ on Steam.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager received 276 positive votes out of a total of 301 achieving a rating of 8.42.
😎
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager was developed by Sumo Digital and Sumo Digital Academy and published by Secret Mode.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager is playable and fully supported on Windows.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager is not playable on MacOS.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager is not playable on Linux.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager is a single-player game.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager does not currently offer any DLC.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager is fully integrated with Steam Workshop. Visit Steam Workshop.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager does not support Steam Remote Play.
NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager.
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Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 06 May 2026 20:00 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 13 May 2026 12:30 |
| Steam price | 16 May 2026 05:02 |
| Steam reviews | 15 May 2026 22:00 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager
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- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager compatibility
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Game modes
Features
Online players
76
Developer
Sumo Digital,
Sumo Digital Academy
Publisher
Secret Mode
Release
26 Mar 2026
Platforms
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