The Comeback King
40 years in the making, The Comeback King is a light-hearted, mildly satirical retro boxing management game set in the UK in the 1980s. Take on a has-been boxer and manage his career. Decide who he'll fight, train him up and send him into the ring! Can you guide your boxer to a Championship title?
Does this feel indie?
Vote based on whether this game feels indie to you. You can change your vote at any time. Results earn an IGF score after 10 accepted votes.| ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan. | Status | Notes Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes |
|---|---|---|
Media
12 itemsAbout the Game
"HE MIGHT BE DOWN... BUT HE'S NOT OUT!"
"Ten years ago he was the next big thing. The Golden boy. Championship material. But it all went south, see? He picked up some bad injuries, and his scumbag manager ran off with all the dosh. So now he wants it back. He wants one last crack at the title, before he gets too old. But he needs a manager. Think you've got the bottle?
"TIME TO PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS THEN."
Game summary
In The Comeback King, you're the manager of a faded fighter battling to win his first championship title. You manage the money, the trainers, the gyms, the tactics - but you don't control your boxer. During a match, you can shout out instructions (and maybe he'll follow your advice) and between rounds you can towel him down and patch him up. Otherwise, you'll sit there on the edge of your seat, peering through your fingers as the drama unfolds before you. Did you choose the right opponent? Did training concentrate on the right areas? Should you have invested more time in tactical coaching? Did you bring enough bandages? Will your boxer be a Punchbag Pawn or... The Comeback King?!
What they're saying about The Comeback King
"As a longtime boxing fan I appreciate the game’s sense of humor and narrative."
"Great demo! Loved it"
"Very nice, style is very good, throw in a ref and it's perfect"*
"Boxing games are cool"
"Nice, I like the look of it - have wishlisted!"
"You really deserve success with this game :)"
"Just played through the demo, very fun, this is a good one!"
"Good luck! Wishlisting it!"
"Nice pixel art"
"Love this! I missed the original"
"Those are some expensive sponges you got there"
Demo
The demo allows you to play 5 matches per career. All previous restrictions have now been removed! Please use the feedback button in the demo to let us know what you thought of it - or add your comments in the Steam Community Hub. You'll be able to load saved games from the demo into the full version when it's released.
Features
Retro pixel art style
Fully animated boxing matches
Tight game loop
Entrance music (10 tracks of original 80s-flavoured bangers written especially for the game!)
British humour
Shouting from the sidelines
Rampant 1980s inflation
Bone-crunching injuries (but no blood/gore)
Quick start guidance system
Play with stats on or 'Keep It Real' for a prize money bonus
40 years in the making
From designer Ian Williams:
This game is a slightly delayed sequel to 'Boxing Manager', an 8-bit classic that I released in the mid-1980s for the Spectrum 48K. You can still play it on an emulator.
This sequel retains many of the features of the original game but I've added more interaction during the matches, plus more gyms, the Shop, more choice of opponents, a refined Popularity system, full ranking table, entrance music and much more.
Future Plans
If there's a demand for it, I also have plans for a 'Downtown' expansion, which will add criminal elements like bribes, dives, illegal tonics and dodgy bets. Cushti!
AI disclaimer
No robots were harmed in the development of this game.
AI art was used for placeholders during the initial stages of development but these were all replaced with hand-drawn art by our artist Ozan D. This game contains no AI-generated art assets, code or SFX.
*There's now a Referee! He has great bouncy hair. :D
