Gladiator Manager (2021)

Developer: Eternity Games
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Indie, Simulation, Sports, Strategy
Rating: 3.9 of 5, 116 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 9.6 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A strategic management sim where you analyze stats and make tactical decisions to build and lead a team of gladiators.

managementtacticalsimulationtext-basedstrategicmethodicalcompetitive

What players say

Players describe this as a spreadsheet with random number generation, where management matters more than combat (which is entirely text-based and can be auto-resolved). Fans compare it to sports management sims like Out of the Park Baseball, but critics say the game forces unwinnable battles, has no customization beyond fights, and has a years-old ultrawide monitor bug the developer never fixed.

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.