If you're tired of FM26, you owe it to yourself to play this Football Manager deckbuilder

Usually, by this point in the year, I would be about 20 seasons deep into a Football Manager save in [insert middling European football nation here].

This year, however, things are different. FM26 and I never truly clicked, and while I noted in my review that I have high hopes for FM27, I just haven't been able to make this year's game stick.

Annoyingly for me, while FM26 hasn't captured me, the Football Manager itch remains, with my hunt for an FM simulacrum leaving a pile of failed saves in its wake. But late last month, my saviour entered the fray.

Nutmeg – or NUTMEG!, to give it its bombastic, real title – is a fascinating take on the football sim.

Flinging you back to the 1980s and '90s, Nutmeg puts you at the helm of an English football club, in charge of squad building, staffing, budgets, and the like.

What sets this game apart is that instead of the tactics are typically the be-all and end-all of the football sim, Nutmeg is a card game.

Like a footballing Slay the Spire, you're given a hand full of cards that you can play to influence the match.

Your team will progress up the pitch, playing passes, dodging tackles and taking shots. Every action has odds assigned to it, and which cards you play and when can give your team that extra edge they need to hit the back of the net.

It's a deceptively simple mechanic that actually feels surprisingly analogous to FM.

Just as you may sit back against stronger opposition, or go all-out against weaker ones, Nutmeg allows you that same control over your games in a different way.

Early on, in an attempt to score as many goals as possible, I found myself playing any and every card early on in games, just to get nowhere and end up conceding on the break.

Outside of matches, you've got the chance to build your squad, make transfers, manage your budgets and more.

Naturally, it's not quite as intuitive as FM's wealth of familiar statistics, scouts and data, so it can feel rather overwhelming to tackle at first, but once you get going, again, it really scratches that FM itch.

As you progress through the years, the database does too, and for any fans of '90s football, Nutmeg is a veritable goldmine.

For players who make it that far, the thrill of signing a wonderkid Ronaldo into your academy is unparalleled.

The database even updates accurately, with transfers occurring in the game as they did in real life – it's an honestly exceptional piece of work, and something that developer Sumo Digital should be making more of.

In a world where retro FM databases are becoming ever more popular, Nutmeg offers exactly that in spades.

While the gameplay is, of course, the highlight, it would be remiss not to mention Nutmeg's presentation, which is dripping with nostalgia.

The entire game takes place on a desk in front of an old PC and fax machine with Ceefax shining out of the CRT telly.

While I am so hip and young, and therefore only remember the last gasps of this era of both technology and aesthetic, that doesn't mean I haven't been deeply charmed by it, and I would be shocked if others weren't also.

In a way, it takes me back to playing those rubbish (but not rubbish at all, and actually very fun) browser games like Jumpers for Goalposts on the family PC.

I would be lying if I said there were not some issues that I'd like to see fixed up.

I want to see my stats! I want to scout other teams' players! I want awards! These are all, of course, minor gripes, but they all add to the story of a save, and it's these little things that are what keep me coming back for more.

Now, is Nutmeg a real competitor for FM? I don't think so.

It doesn't, and probably cannot have the depth of FM and its tactics, transfers, scouting and more, and for these reasons, I certainly don't see myself sticking with it for 20-season saves, year-in year-out.

But that isn't a bad thing by any means.

Nutmeg is a fantastic game that combines two of my favourite genres in football simulation and deckbuilding, and does so in such a novel and engaging way.

If, like me, you've found yourself adrift in FM waters these past few months, do yourself a favour and jump into Nutmeg for a game that is as soulful as it is fun.

Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.