For those of you familiar with fantasy football, you’ll be aware that the traditional process, enjoyable as it may be, requires one hell of a commitment. You’re engaged for pretty much the whole season, and if you’re team ain’t doing so hot halfway in and look to continue in that vein, chances are you’re not going to have a good time for the remaining fixtures. FLIP Sports, a brand new fantasy league game out now for iOS and Android, looks to update this jaded system and truly modernise the way the smartphone generation play fantasy football. But does it succeed?
The main twist of FLIP Sports is that you need only commit on a match-to-match basis. You play in real time during a live football match, one from either the Premier or Champions League. You select the players for your fantasy team who are then deducted or awarded points based on their real life actions on the pitch. Once the final whistle blows and you’ve lost or won, you’re reset to zero and you can begin scouting for your next match and planning your subsequent team. It’s a little slice of genius that really lends itself to the handheld format; as we all know, in today’s world, attention spans are valued commodities.FLIP Sports’ approach is perfect for the casual gamers, while also providing a thrilling new arena for the fantasy veterans.
The developers describe it as a peer-to-peer system; you can go head to with your friends or play in public or private leagues. In every case, the winner is the fantasy manager with the most points at the end of the clash. The app uses a complex algorithm to establish the points for each player’s performance, resulting in a detailed and comprehensive scoring system that true fans are really going to appreciate. FLIP also doesn’t skimp on the social side; you can chat to rival managers as the game progresses and engage in some textbook ‘footie banter’, which as we all know is as big a part of the great game as anything else.
And of course, the other draw of FLIP is the way it syncs perfectly to your real-time match watching. Instead of poring over your computer screen, a simple glance down can tell you how your team is faring, leading to an electrifying experience. I’ve never been so involved in a West Ham match, or indeed any kind of football match, as I was when they faced off against Hull on Sunday 19th January. For anyone interested in picking up fantasy football, this is a perfect start. But for fans of the beautiful game, this is a must have.
Line up at the App Store or Google Play to kick off for free today!
