{"id":24414,"date":"2025-05-09T06:40:50","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T06:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/?p=24414"},"modified":"2026-02-20T04:35:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T04:35:36","slug":"despelote-when-soccer-becomes-language-and-memory-in-quito","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/despelote-when-soccer-becomes-language-and-memory-in-quito\/","title":{"rendered":"Despelote: When Soccer Becomes Language and Memory in Quito"},"content":{"rendered":"

Few indie games manage to capture the spirit of a place and time with as much sensitivity as despelote<\/em>. A 2025 IGF finalist in both the Nuovo and Grand Prize categories, the game invites players to explore the streets of Quito, Ecuador, in 2001 \u2014 just before the country\u2019s historic qualification for its first World Cup. All through the eyes \u2014 and dribbles \u2014 of an eight-year-old child. More than a game about soccer, it\u2019s about everything that surrounds it: memories, sounds, voices, and landscapes that tell the story of a people at a delicate moment in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Game Born from Longing and Lived Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The creator behind this project is Juli\u00e1n Cordero<\/strong>, lead designer and developer of despelote<\/em>. Alongside Sebasti\u00e1n Valbuena (art and music), Gabe Cuzzillo (production), and Ian Berman (sound design), Juli\u00e1n crafted a layered and emotionally resonant experience. A graduate of NYU Game Center, he started the project as his thesis \u2014 six years ago. Since then, the game has grown with support from various partners while staying true to its original goal: to revisit childhood soccer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea came from Juli\u00e1n\u2019s own contrast of leaving Ecuador \u2014 where he played in parks and streets \u2014 and moving to New York, where he grew distant from the sport. despelote<\/em> emerged from that absence and the desire to represent a version of soccer that big titles like FIFA<\/em> never portray: real-life soccer, played between friends, with worn-out balls and everyday backdrops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soccer Without Stadiums \u2014 but Full of Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Instead of focusing on competitive sports, despelote<\/em> centers around the world that surrounds it. Players control a child walking through Quito, kicking a ball, and interacting with people, places, and everyday situations. There are no scoreboards, no teams, no roaring crowds \u2014 just life. The year is 2001, and Ecuador, still recovering from a major economic crisis, places its hopes in the national team. That tension \u2014 and shared dream \u2014 fills the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n\u2019s own memory of that time is hazy. So the team turned to friends and family to reconstruct dialogues. The voice lines weren\u2019t scripted but improvised by people who lived through the era and recalled their experiences through suggested scenarios. For example, a picnic conversation between a couple is based on a real relationship \u2014 and as a child, you can kick your ball right into their juice. Yes, chaos is part of the charm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ball as the Heart of the Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The central gameplay mechanic in despelote<\/em> is the ball. Simple and imperfect, it\u2019s always front and center. Unlike games where control is absolute, the ball here is unstable \u2014 it slips, bounces, veers off. That\u2019s what makes it feel real. The player must learn to handle it, anticipate it, and adapt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tactile realism builds a deep connection between the player and the world. As you walk with the ball at your feet, the city\u2019s sounds \u2014 voices, music, honks \u2014 subtly fade in. Exploring Quito becomes a sensory, spontaneous experience. No epic soundtracks or dramatic narrations \u2014 just the living sound of a city in motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Visual Style That Blends Reality and Sketch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

despelote<\/em>\u2019s visuals stand out immediately. The game blends real photographs with hand-drawn, stylized elements. Artist Sebasti\u00e1n Valbuena had previously worked in 2D animation, but this was his first venture into 3D. The challenge was huge \u2014 but the result is striking. The contrast between black-and-white sketch lines and grainy textures creates an intuitive and impactful visual language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This aesthetic choice also matches the game\u2019s concept. Just as the dialogues were \u201ccollected\u201d from real people, the environments were \u201ccaptured\u201d using tools like Scaniverse<\/strong>, Polycam<\/strong>, and Blender<\/strong>. The map isn\u2019t a 1:1 replica of a Quito neighborhood but a collage of real fragments \u2014 facades, walls, sidewalks \u2014 lending authenticity to the setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tools That Gave Shape to Emotion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The development of despelote<\/em> combined technical software and emotional intent. The team used:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Unity<\/strong> for gameplay<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Fmod<\/strong> for audio integration<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Scaniverse<\/strong> and Polycam<\/strong> for 3D scanning<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Blender<\/strong> for modeling<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Ableton<\/strong> for the soundtrack<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Photoshop<\/strong> for graphic details<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    This tech arsenal allowed the game to go beyond nostalgia and achieve emotional realism \u2014 something few games manage to pull off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Sound of Quito: Auditory Memory and Identity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Audio plays as big a role as visuals in despelote<\/em>. Birdsong, casual conversations, and urban noise were recorded by Ian Berman to recreate the soundscape of Quito in 2001. For Juli\u00e1n, this audio layer is what makes the experience universal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even if you\u2019ve never been to Ecuador, hearing these sounds can instantly transport you. Some soundscapes evoke feelings that transcend logic \u2014 they spark belonging, memory, and emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why despelote<\/em> Deserves Your Attention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In a sea of games filled with epic heroes, hyperrealistic graphics, and cinematic battles, despelote<\/em> is a breath of originality. It doesn\u2019t aim to impress with spectacle but to move with simplicity. It speaks of childhood, memory, of soccer as language, and the city as stage \u2014 and it does so with grace, thoughtfulness, and heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you believe games can tell real, human, and nuanced stories \u2014 despelote<\/em> is a must-play experience.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Few indie games manage to capture the spirit of a place and time with as much sensitivity as despelote. A 2025 IGF finalist in both the Nuovo and Grand Prize categories, the game invites players to explore the streets of Quito, Ecuador, in 2001 \u2014 just before the country\u2019s historic qualification for its first World […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":24072,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultura-criativa"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24414"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24416,"href":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24414\/revisions\/24416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavraromiraealagoa.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}