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u/BuildMyClub

r/gmgames r/playmygame r/hobbygamedev r/footballmanager
▲ 1 r/hobbygamedev

Building a retro football sim where you're the Chairman, not the Gaffer (looking for playtesters!)

Hey everyone! 👋

I’ve been solo-developing Build My Club, a mobile retro pixel-art football club management sim.

Unlike most management games where you pick the starting XI and set match tactics, the core pitch here is: "You're the chairman, not the gaffer." You handle the capital, facilities, hiring, and youth academy, while your delegated managers and scouts handle matchdays.

A few systems under the hood I’ve been working on:

  • 8-Trait Personality Matrix: Every player has evolving traits (determination, adaptability, pressure, temperament, etc.) that drive real-world story events, squad cliques, and guardian/parent dynamics via your inbox.
  • 8-Tier League Pyramid: Start at the bottom against 176 NPC clubs with their own dynamic AI brains and finances.
  • Offline-First & Fast Tick: Built for quick 1-handed mobile sessions—advance week-by-week and watch narrative consequences unfold.

I'm getting ready for some fresh playtesting rounds! If you're into Football Manager, FIFA Career Mode, or just enjoy the nerdier, deep strategic mechanics of sports tycoon sims, I’d love your feedback.

Check out the gameplay clip attached, and drop a comment or DM if you'd be interested in testing the Android or iOS (TestFlight) build!

https://reddit.com/link/1vm7ys9/video/brxoxdq2kwih1/player

reddit.com
u/BuildMyClub — 9 days ago
▲ 2 r/footballmanager+2 crossposts

Building a Football Chairman game as a massive FM fan & app dev – need your ideas & feedback!

Hey everyone,

​I work full-time as a web and mobile app developer, and as a massive Football Manager fan, I’ve been using my spare time to build my own sports tycoon game.

​Rather than a tactical pitch-side simulator, this game focuses purely on the Chairman / Club Owner experience. Instead of picking team sheets or setting pitch instructions, you’re operating behind the scenes—balancing board expectations, managing finances, upgrading infrastructure, and making the call on hiring and firing managers.

​The goal is to build a clean, mobile-friendly loop that captures the high-stakes high-reward strategy of running a football club without requiring hours of matchday micromanagement.

​Current Status:

​Fully playable core loop on Android

​Freshly deployed to iOS via TestFlight

​What I’d love feedback on:

​Chairman Mechanics & Feature Ideas: What macro-management features do you love most in football tycoon games (e.g., stadium growth, ticket/sponsor deals, manager personalities, youth academy investment)? What usually feels missing or repetitive?

​Playtesters: As a dev, I know how easy it is to get blind to your own UI and balance issues. I’d love a few fresh pairs of eyes to test it on Android or TestFlight and give honest feedback on pacing, onboarding, and overall fun factor.

​If you’re interested in checking it out or testing an early build, drop a comment or DM me and I’ll send over the download / TestFlight link!

​You can also check out the site here: https://www.buildmyclub.co.uk/

​Appreciate any ideas or feedback you’ve got!

u/BuildMyClub — 13 days ago