Kick Buds playtest kicks off with silly party royale football on iOS and Android
A football brawler where matches rarely behave
- Kick Buds playtest runs until March 25th on mobile and PC
- Party Royale and Soccer Royale modes offer multiplayer matches
- Customisation and unpredictable physics lean into party-style gameplay
There’s serious football, and then there’s whatever this is. eFootball sits firmly in the real sport lane, but now Konami is trying something a little less… disciplined. Enter Kick Buds, which turns the sport into a full-blown free-for-all.
The concept is simple enough. You’ve got basic controls and a bunch of players all trying to outlast each other in what’s essentially a party royale format. There are a couple of ways this plays out. Party Royale offers a battle royale angle, throwing you into different stages with shifting rules where you’ll need to win multiple rounds to take the crown.
Then there’s Soccer Royale, which pulls things slightly closer to traditional play – teams of three, multiple squads, and just enough structure to pretend this is still football. You’ll still need to pass, position, and take shots, but everything is dialled up just enough that it never really settles into anything predictable.
Pretend being the keyword here. Because between miracle goals, physics that seem to have opinions of their own, and matches that look like they could fall apart at any moment, this feels closer to a party brawler than anything resembling a simulation.
There’s also character customisation in the mix, because of course there is. Bright outfits, expressive avatars, and just enough personality to make sure you stand out when everything inevitably descends into chaos. I mean, why wouldn’t you want your character to look good while things go wrong?
If you’re curious how it all actually feels in motion, you won’t have to wait long. Kick Buds is running a playtest from now until March 25th, available across PC, iOS, and Android in select regions.
And if you’re after more ways to compete (or completely lose control) with others online, you can also check out our list of the best multiplayer games on iOS.
