Competitive games—not esports, but the sort played in the real world—have existed almost since the dawn of time. They’ve provided amusement, a much-needed break from the grind, and a catalyst for social change. Sports have moved beyond playgrounds and stadiums as technology has developed to include television and video games.
When you’re in the mood to play a sports game, the PC may not be your first choice. After all, the platform doesn’t provide any NHL games or the well-known MLB The Show titles (it does have the FIFA, Madden NFL, and NBA 2K games, though). Even so, there are many of really enjoyable PC sports games available, especially if you don’t care about realism or league licensing.
All you have to do to play these games on a Windows PC is download and install them. Whether you’re using the Steam Deck, check Valve’s list of compatible games to determine if the games you want to use will run properly in the Proton-enhanced SteamOS environment or if you’ll need to take any further steps. According to data taken from SteamDB, hundreds of Steam games have so far been validated by Steam Deck (Opens in a new window). A green checkmark means the game has been thoroughly tested to function properly on Steam Deck; a yellow checkmark means the game may be played on Steam Deck, “but additional steps or manual effort from the user,” Remember that unless you can get a Wi-Fi signal, games that need an online connection may not be the best for on-the-go Steam Deck play.
Are you prepared to play some sports games? Move along!
Baseball Stars 2
Even without a Major League Baseball license, SNK’s iconic baseball game continues to rank among the top arcade-style sports games decades after it debuted in a Neo Geo arcade.
With two leagues, 18 larger-than-life fictional teams, straightforward controls, a ton of adorable animations, and amazing cut scenes that highlight tense moments like a play at the plate or a batter punching a pitcher in the face after taking a beanball, Baseball Stars 2 perfectly captures the essence of the sport.
Fire Pro Wrestling World
When it first launched on Steam Early Access, Fire Pro Wrestling World was a promising game. Spike Chunsoft’s “sports” game quickly became one of the most engrossing wrestling games to appear on any platform after its official debut.
After the underwhelming, avatar-based, Xbox 360-exclusive Fire Pro Wrestling, World is a fantastic return to form. It has all the qualities of a great Fire Pro game, including strong creation tools. An absurdly deep move set, MMA rules, cage fighting, gimmick matches, tight controls, and match pacing. Fire Pro Wrestling World is the finest in its class thanks to online play, Steam Workshop integration for creating and downloading content, and optional New Japan Pro Wrestling DLC.
Please be aware that Fire Pro Wrestling World’s rating represents how game looked in Steam Early Access. A revised review will be released shortly.
Football Manager 2022
The Football Manager series from SEGA is a mystery to many outside observers, but for a sizable, fervent fan following, it has developed into a borderline obsession. The most popular sport in the world is simulated in this text-heavy, excessively comprehensive manner. In order to lead your team to success, assume the position of club manager and handle player transactions, on-field strategies, staff directives, and everything else in between.
By adding additional backroom activities, an upgraded match engine, and visual enhancements over the previous edition, Football Manager 2022 advances the franchise. Football Manager is the next-best thing to playing for your preferred team if you want to play in the beautiful game but lack Ronaldo’s abilities.
Knockout City
Dodgeball, a fixture of playgrounds, is transformed into a vibrant, chaotic, online multiplayer combat in Knockout City, striking an outstanding mix between complexity and accessibility.
You may fool your opponent’s timing by rushing the ball, pull off a fake throw, or send the ball to a teammate if they’re in a better position, for instance, to receive an approaching ball without being knocked out. You may remain mobile ingeniously by using a variety of leaps, evades, and gliding moves. Even better, roll it into a ball and hand it to a teammate to pick up and toss at an opponent for an immediate knockout.
You can kill your friends on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch thanks to crossplay capabilities.
Mutant Football League
A poor sport is football. Yes, it’s adored by millions, but there’s no denying that giants throwing themselves at each other causes concussions. Video games make the sport considerably more entertaining, particularly arcade-style football, which enables you to do superhuman feats without horrifying injuries or infuriating penalties.
By putting skeletons, robots, orcs, aliens, and mutant humans against one another in unfriendly gridiron games with landmines and cheat plays, Digital Dream Entertainment’s Mutant Football League truly adheres to the rule set. It’s not only because Mutant Football League is one of the few American football PC games that isn’t Madden NFL; it’s also because it’s really terrific, despite some grating dirty trick plays.
Out of the Park Baseball 2021
The Out of the Park series has more of an emphasis on sophisticated modeling than on button-pressing action, in contrast to the other baseball games described here. The official licenses from Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and Minor League Baseball are included in the 2021 edition, just as they were in the version of the game we examined from 2016. It is a numbers-driven, rigorous management game.
A stadium design tool, 2020 MLB regulations, updated player cards, in-season tournaments, and new statistics are all included in Out of the Park 2021. You can now appreciate the sport’s front office and on-field components like never before.
Penalty Kick Online
You will play a football player who has been given a penalty kick in the very exciting game called Penalty Kick Online. Make the most of your 15 shots to get as many goals as you can by keeping in mind that you will have them.
You task with shooting the ball over the opponent’s goalkeeper’s crossbar in this free-kick game. Finishing your trophy collection will enable you to display your online gaming accomplishments. Use your mouse to click and swipe on your ball while the kicker makes a shot. And watch out! You could miss it if you swipe too far! To serve as a keeper and stop the shot, move your mouse to the right. If this is your first time, properly completing a math problem will get you an additional opportunity.
The complexity of the game rises as there are more goalkeepers with each succeeding level! The side with the most goals at the end of five rounds wins the game! Enjoy the penalty shootouts as if you were watching the FIFA World Cup final in 2022. To win the world championship, play for free with the best teams and execute the most stunning saves. How many goals can you thus score in such a little amount of time?
RetroMania Wrestling
Metal chairs completing actions. cage fights. These three components, along with others, best describe pro wrestling, and RetroSoft Studios’ RetroMania Wrestling offers them all.
RetroMania Wrestling appeals to those who want their wrestling games to be more arcade-like than sim-like. Even if it isn’t as in-depth as the outstanding Fire Pro Wrestling World. Due to its straightforward controls that let everyone to participate in the action and theatrics. It is a retro title that is reminiscent of WrestleFest and other vintage arcade wrestling games.
Rocket League
The video game Rocket League, created by Psyonix, is a shining example of one that simply wants you to accomplish one thing: have pure, unadulterated pleasure. This quirky sports game combines the allure of RC racing with the intense. Team-based competitiveness of soccer, and it adds lots of extravagant spectacle (huge goals, crazy saves) to make every game fresh.
There aren’t many multiplayer video games that make use of simple. Addicting gameplay in such a compelling way as Rocket League does. You can always find a match since it even enables cross-platform play with console gamers.
Super Mega Baseball 3
With its emphasis on near-superhuman players and their voluminous numbers. Super Mega Baseball 3 is essentially an interactive baseball card. The most recent game from Metalhead Software gives you a glimpse of what makes baseball. Such a popular game throughout the globe by immersing you in a setting where dingers fly far. Showboats flash their enormous biceps, and pitcher-batter matches are tense cat-and-mouse contests.
With its third installment, the series moves farther into simulation mode with new on-field enhancements, player attributes, front office developments. And gameplay styles for both default and bespoke ball clubs. The new Pennant Race option also allows console baseball players to play across platforms.
Super Mega Baseball 3 is the finest game in the series to date and a fantastic PC game. Despite some small frame rate difficulties and other minor gripes.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2
A happy comeback for a franchise that has struggled lately is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. A package that remasters two legendary late-1990s and early-2000s skating games. Its exhilarating, combo-based action and throbbing energy will please both younger people. Searching for a highly fun distraction with a blood-pumping, head-nodding punk and hip-hop music. As well as elderly people wishing for the game genre that publishers have neglected for years.
This outstanding collection complete with 19 songs. New and returning professional skaters (including Tony Hawk, Kareem Campbell, and Nyjah Huston). As well as a fantastic graphics update.
Windjammers 2
Similar to its predecessor, Windjammers 2 is a sports video game set in the fictitious Flying Power League. A league of athletes who compete by hurling flying discs. Your objective is to be the first player in best-of-three sets to score 15 points (or accumulate the most points before the clock expires).
The game, however, goes well beyond that simple summary. Windjammers 2 is essentially a sports game with the heart of a combat game. It even contains parries and special techniques! The Neo Geo sequel from DotEmu features cross-platform play between PC and Xbox. In addition to rollback netcode, new offensive and defensive maneuvers, and the same exhilarating action as its predecessor.
Author: Nicolae’s Biography
Nicolae Ollie Haynes from Geometry Dash .INC focuses on hardware, computer languages, and AI image-processing software. He’s ghostwritten how-to manuals and books on Linux, C# programming, and game development in the previous five years. Nicolae likes technology and wants to share his expertise.
