Playtest prototype · v0.4.0 · Windows

MitchyXIV's
The Dugout.

A football management sim where every decision shows up on the pitch.

Get the playtest on itch.ioGive feedback on Discord

Single-player · set in a fictional world · built for mouse and keyboard

In the game

The tactics screen: a 4-4-2 formation on a pitch, the starting XI and substitutes, and team instruction controls.
Tactics: pick a formation and roles, then set mentality, passing, tempo, pressing and defensive line.
The squad table showing each player's position, age, ability, potential, condition, morale and value, with a player panel on the right.
Squad: every player's ability, potential, condition and form in one dense table.
A player profile with attacking, playmaking, physical, mental and defending attributes and the positions he can play.
Player profiles: attributes grouped by area, preferred positions and the roles each player suits.
The training screen with an automatic training plan, team sharpness and squad condition bars.
Training: your assistant plans each day around the fixtures, with clear trade-offs for fatigue and injury risk.
The season fixtures list showing dates, competitions, home and away venues, opponents and results.
Fixtures: a full season of league and cup matches with results as you go.
The inbox with match previews, training reports and transfer news.
Inbox: match previews, training reports and news from around your club.

What it's about

Pick a team, set your tactics, play the match, react to the result, and repeat across a season. The game is built to show you, in plenty of detail, what your decisions actually did.

Decisions have visible consequences

Every tactical setting and player attribute changes the match in a way that can be measured. If something does nothing, it's treated as a bug.

Built for the desktop

Mouse and keyboard, big screens, information-dense tables. The game shows you what it can instead of making you dig for it.

Deterministic and replayable

The same seed and the same inputs always give the same result. Any match can be replayed exactly as it happened.

Tuned against real football

The match engine is calibrated against real-world averages (shots, goals, possession) before anything is balanced by feel.

How to play

  1. 1Pick a club from the start screen.
  2. 2Press Space (or Continue) to head to the match, and Space again to kick off.
  3. 3Set your tactics, make substitutions, react to the result, then repeat across the season.
  4. 4The game saves automatically after every change. Next time, press Continue.

Controls

Space
Continue, or pause the match
+ / −
Change match speed
T
Tactics
S
Substitutions
R
Watch the last goal again
F5 / F6
Fixtures / league table
F1–F9
Jump between sections
Alt + ← / →
Back / forward
Ctrl + S
Save now

Questions

Is it a finished game?

No. It's an early playtest prototype, so expect rough edges and changes between builds. Feedback is the whole point of this stage.

What platform does it run on?

Windows is the supported platform for now. The app isn't code-signed yet, so Windows may show a warning the first time: choose More info, then Run anyway.

Does it use real clubs and players?

No. The Dugout is set in a fictional world, so you manage made-up clubs and players.

Can I save my game?

Yes. It autosaves after every change and with Ctrl + S. A match in progress isn't saved, so closing mid-match means replaying that fixture. There is one save slot, and picking a new club starts a fresh game.

How do I send feedback?

Join the Discord. In the game, open Settings, then About, then Copy version, and paste it into your message so the exact build is known.

Help shape the game

Test a build, tell Mitch what you think, and watch the streamers play it live.

Join the DiscordMeet the founder