Sensible Soccer: The classic that redefined football games with a single button

“Zonal marking? I can disprove that in a second,” beams Jon Hare — a man with such energy, it’s no wonder he knows how to make a compelling computer game.

We’re not talking FIFA, Pro Evolution Soccer or Football Manager here but their forbearer. It was the only sports game, the only game developed in Europe and the youngest (1994) to be included in Stanford University’s digital gaming canon submitted to the USA’s Library of Congress in 2006.

The game? Sensible Soccer — or more accurately, its direct sequel: Sensible World of Soccer. All 27,000 players and 1,500 teams of it. All 1.5 million copies sold and 15 million people to have played it. It’s Hare’s proudest achievement to date. It even appeared on a stamp.

“They considered the move we made in SWOS (Sensible World of Soccer) innovative enough to be alongside Tetris, Super Mario Bros, SimCity, Doom…” Hare tells The Athletic. “Professionally, I was like, ‘Yeah! I can always look back and whatever else happens, we did that’.”

The screen is swiftly vacated as Jon Hare dashes off to find a photograph, leaving the still backdrop of a gamer’s well-established office and musical instruments before the telltale sound of rummaging.

He emerges holding a frame and thrusts the captured scene in front of his camera: pre-kick-off in a charity game at Carrow Road alongside Darren Huckerby. Hare’s kit is traditional for the surroundings, although his yellow shirt is a Sensible Software edition rather than one bought in the club shop. As a Norwich City fan, either suits his taste.

“This bloke said, ‘I met Jon at a tournament in Cambridge once; he’s a really nice guy but a bit shit at football’,” laughs Hare. “If I was a Norwich player, I’d be Rob Newman or Grant Hanley. I’m not quite Gary Doherty, although I loved him. He gave away so many penalties. The ball would get past him but never the player!”

Sensible Soccer designer Jon Hare (left) alongside former Norwich man Darren Huckerby

Hare loves football, especially Norwich. He played at school, he plays at Carrow Road whenever there is the opportunity, and he played in a software league where Sensible Software, the small independent gaming company he founded in 1986 alongside Chris Yates, took on giants such as Sony and Virgin, and lost 15-0.

He currently owns and manages Anglia FC, having also played 150 games for them. The amateur side has rivals that include various Cambridge University colleges. One player recently returned home to Bahrain, where he signed for a professional team. Hare’s eyes are now open to the complexities of managing players as much as formations. As you would expect, he also keeps track of every team and player statistic possible. Fortunately, the database stops short of 27,000.

The history of gaming includes a boyhood love for Subbuteo, playing (losing) regularly against his dad. There were five-a-side games against his sister: teddies versus rabbits. He discovered earlier this week that more than 60 years ago, his grandad planed his dining room table to create a football game with coins, combs and nails for goalposts.

It doesn’t take long in Hare’s company to appreciate how that legacy and his football passion, together with his job as Sensible’s game designer and artist, would produce something special.

“It is the only game I’ve ever worked on where it was like magic within two months. It just…” Hare pauses to look out of the window. “It was like just came together perfectly.”

It is 1991, which may be a difficult computer game landscape for some of us to picture.

The arcade game Tehkan World Cup, where players were controlled by a ball that you rotated, had proven popular. By 1988, Sensible Software had created its first football game: MicroProse Soccer. The American publisher paid £30,000 for the game to carry its name, rather than Sensible. A six-a-side game with VHS-effect action replays and slippery wet pitches was highly praised at the time but soon trumped by a rival: Kick-Off.

“We were making our next game, Mega-Lo-Mania, and playing Kick-Off every day; me and one of our programmers, Chris Chapman,” Hare tells The Athletic. “We were enjoying it but getting annoyed with it too. You couldn’t see ahead of the game enough to see who you were passing to. You wanted to see who you were giving the ball to. In the end, we chucked the two discs on the railway track outside our office.”

The Sensible Software team pictured in 1992 (back row: Chris Yates, Stoo Cambridge, Chris Chapman; middle row: Jools Jameson, Jon Hare; front row: Dave Korn)

Mega-Lo-Mania was a complex, innovative real-time “God game” involving a lot of little men and a world of different lands. With the game designed and drawn, it was with the programmers to fix the bugs as Hare would “test it, say what needed fixing, sit down, wait, drink coffee, wait, play the game” until it was ready for release. It gave Hare some time to fiddle around.

“It had these little time-travelling soldiers: cavemen, Roman soldiers, Medieval guys chucking boiling oil down a castle; on to crossbows, flying Spitfires and Spaceships,” recalls Hare. “I was bored and I wanted to force a football game into the equation, so I decided to dress our little guys up in Norwich kits. The first iteration of Sensible Soccer was a bunch of Norwich players running around fields with castles and factories in the Mega-Lo-Mania world and no ball!”

A pitch soon followed but the top-down perspective and dimensions stayed the same. With that, everything clicked.

“It was a total fluke how we came up with that angle and perspective, and it just worked off the bat,” says Hare. “We tweaked it a bit, obviously. The mechanics, like calculating who you are passing to, the speed, angle — that’s all spinning around each player’s data. Shooting, tackling, aftertouch; we really nailed it in those first two months.

“We knew it was going to be a big hit. We were big fans of Kick-Off and we knew this was better.”

Sensible World of Soccer ran on MS-DOS and Amiga systems

The simplicity was a marvel. One button created every action, whether in possession or defence, yet Sensible Soccer’s intuitive gameplay drew you in as if you were physically on the pitch, controlling all 11 players.

Authentic crowd noise provided a genuine atmosphere. You could dribble with the ball and just as easily lose it if you ran beyond an individual player’s abilities (yes, each player had its own skill set). They rolled on the floor if they were injured, leading to an anxious wait over how many games they might miss.

Then, there was the referee, who would wander into view after a bad tackle and, after a perfectly timed dramatic pause, produce a coloured pixel: either yellow or red.

It even had a theme tune, entitled “Goal Scoring Superstar Hero” composed by Hare and Richard Joseph, with vocals from Jackie Reed.

From the 1992 release of “Sensi” through to the 1994 arrival of SWOS on to the final update in 1999, there was so much to enjoy. So many hours lost. So many exams failed.

“Tehkan was the first time I’d ever seen the ball bend (aftertouch), so we chose to emulate that on Microprose, which was pretty exaggerated. Then we refined it on Sensi. I read years later that the ball-bending in Tehkan was actually an accident because the programmer miscalculated how to draw a straight line, so we invented ball-bending based on a bug in someone else’s game, that we wanted to copy.”

Sensible Soccer’s simplicity also created a quirk where gamers felt they had more control of the game than was actually the case. Part of that came from its authenticity.

“I remember playing another football game and John Barnes was white because someone couldn’t be bothered to make two different sprites for a team: one with one skin colour and one with another. As a football fan, it ruined the reality,” Hare tells The Athletic.

“So we were the first game to do that. On Sensi, I had three sprites: a white guy with black hair, white guy with blonde hair and a guy with brown skin and black hair. Then we made the players’ number their indicator. Now you’d go, ‘No 7, Liverpool, red shirt, red shorts, red socks, brown skin — it’s got to be John Barnes’.

“It’s interesting when you’re making games with iconic 2D graphics because your brain fills in the gaps. With Norwich, it was Ruel Fox on one side, Darren Eadie on the other and Jeremy Goss was the blonde guy in midfield. Then a shirt number verifies it and you feel smart.”

There were no guaranteed ways to score but a 40-yard curling shot towards the far post was close until the goalkeepers were improved six months after launch (via a free update disc). Hare sees keepers as the ones who cover the flaws in the rest of the game by keeping the ball out.

The one thing that always appeared on all the lists of numerous improved versions of Sensible Soccer but never made it on the pitch? A physio running on to treat an injured player with a magic sponge.

Sensible Soccer took nine months from spark to release thanks to an initial “fluke” and its iconic gameplay. The arrival of Sensible World of Soccer two years later and how high it raised the bar was thanks to a much more deliberate effort.

Bolted on to its predecessor’s playability was a full career mode, the option to watch games as a manager, job offers, buying and selling players plus huge tactical flexibility — and above all, a massive database of accurately scouted teams and players.

“When I got Subbuteo, the pamphlet said I’d got a red and white team,” says Hare, his eye lighting up. “Well, that is Manchester United but it’s also Crewe and the Norwegian national team. Then you’ve got a light blue and white team, which is Uruguay but also Manchester City, Malmo. It was so exciting that you had all these teams in your box. So with SWOS, we just went haywire and thought, ‘We want all the countries in the world, all the players, all the teams’. That’s what was really joyous about it.”

Sensible Soccer featured on a set of stamps celebrating historic games released by the Royal Mail in January 2020

Researching the professional tennis circuit for Sensible’s earlier career sports game, International 3D Tennis, ensured Hare knew a similar journey for SWOS would take more than reading a few magazines.

Author Mike Hammond began scouting by repackaging research for his annual European Football Yearbooks, including developing player ratings. With SWOS extending beyond Europe, Serge van Hoof was brought in to look after the rest of the world.

“Mike is a Leicester fan,” adds Hare. “Our in-office teams were Norwich, Sunderland and Liverpool, so they all got a little bit of a nudge in areas and I’m sure Mike had already nudged Leicester before he had even given us the stats.

“We had all the teams and players down to El Salvador’s third tier — all accurately researched and with proper player names. In those days, you didn’t have lawyers breathing down your neck. We just did it and no one questioned it.” Hare smiles. “Then, at some point, this law got added, which I find really irritating and I’ll explain to you why…”

At this point, Sensible Soccer’s journey arrives at a staging post with a modern-day twist.

For all those either wishing to rekindle those lost hours by returning to the game or wishing they could experience a current version, there is good news.

Sociable Soccer was conceived by Hare 12 years ago, with familiar concepts to modern football games but uniquely, players form “clans” representing the team they support to jointly take on fixtures and play in mini-leagues.

The game has already been five years in development. Currently available on Apple Arcade, soon to be released in China and with planned PC and console launches, Hare is excited.

“Football is the most tribal thing in the world. It’s a natural clan, so the game works on that,” says Hare. “You’re fighting against the other guys to be the clan’s captain next week, but you’re fighting with your guys to beat Ipswich, Liverpool, PSG, Boca Juniors or whoever.”

Gameplay trailer for our new update! #AppleArcade pic.twitter.com/ltts2kVxa2

— Sociable Soccer (@Sociable_Soccer) December 23, 2020

The mechanics under the hood of Sociable Soccer “are not mathematically the same but similar” to SWOS. The new game has also emphasised just how lucky Hare was with the timing of his 1994 masterpiece.

“We got categorised at the time more like a feature film,” says Hare. The 55-year-old delivers his argument and debate ensues over the free use of team and player names in online football reports and websites, yet those same names not being freely available in a computer game. “When you’ve got 27,000 players in a game, that is clearly a data list like one you could print anywhere. I would argue it’s identical to every website I read about football every day.”

The result? Licensing agreements through FIFPro, the international players’ union and other leagues, and a subject brought to light in November after Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gareth Bale questioned the use of their names and likenesses in EA Sports’ FIFA 2021.

Unlike SWOS, Sociable Soccer’s most highly-rated players include Rumaldo, Da Bloyne and Salgio Renos. Even a Norwich fan like Hare has to make do with an unofficial crest and a team that includes Pohhi (Teemu Pukki), Boandia (Emi Buendia) and Aelons (Max Aarons).

The game is built to take the correct team and player names as soon as a licence is bought. The issue is the seven-figure expense for something that in 1994 cost only time and effort.

Hare adds: “I understand it from the consumer’s view, especially young kids. ‘Where are the real players? They’re not there. It’s rubbish’. Have you got a million quid? Give us that and we’ll get them for you! You’ve got to be careful. You can’t make a mistake or you’ll get sued. Even with SWOS on the Megadrive, we had to change up the names as Sega were averse to taking risks.”

The problem doesn’t extend to the Chinese Super League, however, where Sociable Soccer has negotiated its own licence — hence stars such as Marco Arnautovic featuring in the game’s opening menu. Although the other names are jumbled, they are who you think they are, thanks to a dedicated follower.

David White had been keeping SWOS’s database of players and leagues updated for those still playing versions of the game they could modify. Hare found out and offered him a job working on Sociable Soccer. It usually takes him 11 weeks after a transfer window to complete the updates. After the summer window, he had just six weeks.

“He’s a Sheffield Wednesday fan, so I guess they’re nudged up now as well,” smiles Hare. “The world has been playing FIFA for 25 years and it’s very good at giving you the ability to influence something on the screen as if you’re watching TV. I believe the key component in Sensi, which has gone into Sociable, is we put you in the role of the guy on the pitch under pressure in real-time to deliver that pass before you get tackled.

“FIFA has earned its current position. Pro Evo played better but they took on EA at a game they were going to lose. The budget was $300 million. Every year, they make $1 billion. They’re even licensing the refs and footballs! Our game is not going to replace FIFA. That is more of a nice restaurant for a fine steak and lovely wine. Our game is a good sandwich you can eat at lunchtime. It’s fun and you can score cool goals.”

Hare also knows those who run Football Manager — a game with levels of detail that now dwarf even SWOS.

“Sometimes, you can tell when people are guessing. No one really knows the passing skill level of the substitute defensive midfielder at JCT Mills, Phagwara, in India,” adds Hare. “That team was great. They’re based in a Sikh region and in SWOS, you could alter the team so it was 11 different players named Singh. That was real data.”

A worldwide community still plays SWOS regularly online but Hare is no longer among them. His last crack at the original game came about seven years ago. Invited to an annual SWOS World Cup tournament in Berlin, Hare played 15 games and lost every one.

“One game, I was 2-1 up in the 89th minute and gave a penalty away, then they scored again in injury time. I was really angry,” Hare recalls. “Making games is immensely hard work. It can be extremely rewarding but you’re working with technology, so it can also be extremely frustrating. What we did was a genuine mix of art and technology, and I’m proud of SWOS because it’s the best game I’ve ever made, the best game I’ve designed, and it’s allowed me to be comfortable with money. I love the game to bits.

“You love all your games equally, like children, but they have different purposes. Some were very niche. SWOS has stood the test of time and artistically, it’s not the most interesting thing we’ve done but it’s a football game. Football doesn’t need to be arty. That’s for different things.”

It’s time to go. There is a new game that needs more development.

Before Hare leaves, he makes time to bring up his suggestion for improving Norwich’s attack against packed defences: “Drill in some low crosses. Anything could happen!” It immediately sounds like a plausible Sensible Soccer tactic.

As for disproving zonal marking in a second? Hare really does know how to make things feel so simple.

“The attacker gets to choose who marks them!”

(Photos: Jon Hare/Codemasters/Getty Images; top design: Sam Richardson)