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After the successful release of EA Sports College Football 25 after a many-year absence proved there is still a high demand for games based around the up and coming athletes just starting to make their way in their sport of choice, is there room for more?
Basketball is another area ripe for the picking and, while this college basketball sim is not coming from one of the big publishers, its indie dev may just be landing the right thing at the right time.
College Basketball Manager, as you can tell from the title is a management sim rather than an action sports game. Similar in features to the other popular management sims such as Out of the Park Baseball or even the much bigger budget Football Manager the game will let you, “Take charge as head coach in College Basketball Manager. Recruit your dream team, whether that be through All-Americans or hidden gems. Strategize gameplay, schedule games, run practices, and manage your staff, because you are in control. The court is your canvas – create a powerhouse.”
There’s no release date set in stone as yet but you can wishlist the game on Steam right now and a Closed Beta has just begun after a successful Alpha period.
The game is coming from another one of those solo developer set-ups we like so much here at Readwrite Gaming and he said in a post on Reddit, “My primary focus through the gameplay is a deep, rewarding recruiting system, a great player development system once they make it on campus, and lots of ways to customize your strategy to put those players in the right situations to win games and win the post-season tournament. To me, that is the heart of any college sports game.
“Growing up, I absolutely loved playing College Hoops 2k8 with my brother and friends. We would spend hours and hours playing through season after season of the legacy mode. My goal is to create that same feeling, where players can enjoy deep, rewarding sim management gameplay with their friends, whether by themselves or online through Steam.
“I’ve also taken a lot of inspiration from Football Manager. I’d love to make a sim with some of the same depth that the franchise has.”
If you are into management sims with a lot of depth, this may well be worth adding to your wishlist.
College Basketball Manager Key Features:
- Execute game plans through a dynamic simulation engine, boasting an array of offensive and defensive strategies.
- Recruit high school players to bolster your team, crafting compelling pitches to sway recruits and outmaneuver your rivals in recruiting battles.
- Develop your players both during the season and off to align with your playing style and gain a competitive edge.
- Level up your coaching skills.
- Comprehensive stat tracking for every player and team.
- Dive into team and league histories, past game results, awards, coaching careers, and records with just a click.
