Penalty Kick

Penalty Kick is a cozy 3D penalty shootout career played in clay-toy miniature stadiums. You take the kicks and, from the second tournament on, you also pull on the gloves and try to stop them. Each match is a short duel of nerve: five kicks each, then sudden death if the score is level.

Shooting works with a single drag. Drag toward a spot in the goal and let go, and the ring follows your finger to show where the ball is going. A quicker drag hits it harder, but overhit it and the ball flies over the bar or wide. Bend the drag like a banana and the shot curls in the air. When you keep goal, the other side runs up and you tap where to dive. Go too early and a sharp kicker puts it the other way; wait too long and a firm shot into the corner is already past you.

The career has 128 matches: eight tournaments of sixteen, from the Village Cup to a floodlit Grand Final. Each tournament adds one idea: goalkeeping turns at the Seaside Shield, keepers who cover the middle in the Orchard League, wind in the Alpine Trophy, keepers who learn your habits at Harbour Nights, an aim that sways with the pressure in the Desert Classic, and a heavy pitch with chipped penalties at the Snow Festival. Keepers grow from Rookie to Legend, every fourth match is a special such as target practice or a save challenge, and each final has a named keeper with a trait of their own.

Some practical advice. Do not shoot at the same spot every time, because better keepers read repeated zones and guess more often. Curled shots beat the early keepers well, but the top tiers read the bend too, so mix your corners and your power. In goal, watch the run-up: weaker kickers open their hips toward their side late, which gives the shot away, while sharp kickers punish an early dive. In windy matches, check the corner flags and the arrow on screen before you aim.

Every match has a win goal plus two extra objectives, such as top-corner goals, curled goals or a clean sheet, for three stars. Coins from goals, saves and stars buy 12 kits, 10 balls and 8 pairs of gloves in the Locker. Win match eight to open Sudden Death, where you shoot and save in turn against ever tougher sides with three lives. A match is only a handful of kicks, so it fits short breaks, and it plays with a mouse, keyboard or touch in any orientation.

In each match you try to win the shootout. Every match has two extra objectives, and completing everything earns three stars. Coins from goals, saves and stars buy kits, balls and gloves.

Sudden Death mode opens after match eight. You shoot and save in turn against ever tougher sides, with three lives. Score and save as many as you can before they run out.