Pitchside Empire

Pitchside Empire is a management game about running a five-a-side football facility. You take calls from teams looking to book a pitch and quote a price: charge too much and they go elsewhere, or charge too little and fill the schedule without earning enough. Each team has a budget it does not disclose, and regular customers tend to offer more and push back less. Some teams counter your price, leaving you to decide whether to accept or hold firm.

Grow your facility

You start with one plot holding four pitches. Profits can fund changing rooms, showers, a canteen, seating and floodlights. Floodlights let you sell evening slots, the most valuable hours of the day. You can also upgrade pitch surfaces: worn pitches lead to bad reviews, which lower your reputation and, in turn, customer budgets.

To add a fifth pitch, you need to acquire another plot. The available locations are the Industrial Yard, the Harbour District, the Lakeside Complex, the Downtown Arena and the Hilltop Campus. Each has its own ground, decor and customers; shift workers fill late hours at the Industrial Yard, while Lakeside teams pay properly.

Run the business

You can hire a manager to answer calls and close deals for you. Cleaners, cooks, attendants and security staff each affect a different part of customer satisfaction. Promoting staff lets the facility run while you focus elsewhere. Fights can break out on the pitch and damage your reputation, and customers leave reviews that you can read.

The game tracks cash, occupancy and level in 30-day history charts, and includes 16 achievements.

The Neighbourhood League

From level 10, local clubs can hold their tournament on your pitches. You set aside one pitch for one day each week and receive a hosting fee and ticket revenue. Your own club also competes in the table, and better pitches improve its chance of winning the title.