
Tackle. Die. Repeat. Use American football skills to dash through a bloody 2D underworld. Fast, top-down carnage until the floor is cleared. You’re at the top of your game... but unfortunately, your C.T.E. is catching up.
Modeled estimate, not a reported figure. How we estimate →
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About
Tackle for Loss is a 2D top-down action game that puts you in the shoes of a former American football pro. Utilizing his unique set of football skills, you'll navigate a gritty underworld, battling enemies on a desperate mission to save a loved one. Violent combat, a gripping narrative, and dark pixel art combine to create a high-impact experience inspired by the likes of Hotline Miami.
Combat is built around a brutal twist on American football’s four-down rule: you get four tackles - total - to clear each level. No button mashing. Just four perfectly placed tackles between you and the end zone. Sounds impossible? It kind of is.

Football Infused Combat
Killstreak Mechanic
Unlockable Skillpath
Gamepad & Keyboard Support
Badass soundtrack by real musicians
Runs at 90 FPS on Steam Deck
Languages: English, German
Auto-Translation: Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French, Italian, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish
(please contact me if you find any errors - there will be some!)

TACKLE: Move through enemy lines like a knife through butter and rack up killstreak points.

SPIKE: Grab your enemies with a lethal grip and smash them into pieces with this melee attack.

PIGSKIN: Use your deadly precision in this ranged attack.
SKILLPATH: Rapidly eliminating enemies extends combo chains and increases score multipliers, rewarding players for aggressive and strategic gameplay. Unique moves and attacks can be unlocked through progression. By experimenting with a variety of skills and perks, players can develop and refine a variety of combat styles.

Tackle for Loss is a game solo-developed by Indifferent Penguin / Daniel Wichterich. That means I am the only person working full-time on this game. During development, I’ve been fortunate to meet people who have contributed in meaningful ways, whether through their creative work, valuable feedback, or support.
Nik Neumetzler – Key Art
Riccardo Berndt – Additional Pixel Art
BaerSerker-Art – Promotion
The team at 1UP - PR & Marketing
AI Disclosure
Tackle for Loss does not use generative AI in the final product. While I experimented with it during the prototyping phase, all the content you’ll see and hear in the game was created by real people. However, the dialogues of Tackle for Loss have been translated with DeepL for languages other than English and German in order to make the game accessible to more people. I believe this is AI, right?
Funded by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg

Stats
All-time low is the lowest price we've recorded for this game since we started tracking it.
Languages: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish - Spain, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Turkish
Engagement
Hours played at review time, across 40 reviews with recorded playtime.
Reviews
Themes across 40 recent reviews and how positive each mention is. A keyword signal, not full sentiment analysis.
positive critical· bar length = how often the theme comes up
Reviews
Great game with a captivating story. Challenging but not unfair and absolutely worth the dollar amount to pick it up!
It's a football style hotline miami. Was pretty fun even in alpha! This dev is great, check out his work! :3
I reached out and was supplied with a review key. It's a fun little jaunt that doesn't overstay its welcome. Chaining through enemies and completing entire levels off the first down feels incredibly satisfying, and the music slaps as well. The graphics are detailed as well even within the pixel-style, and levels feel varied and for the most part, detailed. Most of the enemies force you to adapt in clever ways, although if you're struggling with dogs or the yakuza I STRONGLY recommend to pick up the gloves upgrade. You can still bait them without, but the upgrade makes them trivial to deal with. The only enemy I'm still not a fan of after completing the game is the shinobi -- they'll turn on a dime and shoot you without delay, which at time feels like it limits the amount of counterplay that's possible. So far I've only really found that being very aggressive with attacking works against them.
Tackle for Loss non è il solito action frenetico: è un puzzle tattico brutale. La "Regola dei 4 Down" cambia tutto: hai solo quattro mosse per ripulire la stanza o sei fuori. Ogni Tackle o Spike va pesato con una precisione chirurgica che non ammette errori. Sotto la pixel art sporca in stile VHS c’è la storia cruda di Joe, un uomo distrutto dai colpi subiti in campo (CTE) e dai traumi personali. È un gioco che ti fa sentire potente nei riflessi ma vulnerabile nell'anima, colpendo duro sia sul piano del gameplay che su quello emotivo. Se cerchi una sfida hardcore che abbia anche qualcosa di profondo da dire, non fartelo scappare. Recensione completa qui: https://www.passionevideogiochi.it/tackle-for-loss/
Seems good so far, Might want to fix the soft/hard lock at the first level of the game if you forgot to pick up every single coin dropped from the enemies because you were too busy having fun. I cant progress without completely restarting because the game wants me to open a door that I cant afford to open before going to the next level. Im sure restarting would only take 15 minutes or so, but thats enough to stop me from continuing to play until another day.
[h1]Tacle For Loss, le Hotline Miami version football américain qui tacle tout sur son passage.[/h1] Un gameplay nerveux, une DA ultra marquée et une mécanique de tacle grisante. Un jeu qui demande autant de réflexes que de stratégie, et qui donne envie d’aller jusqu’au bout pour comprendre ce qui s’est vraiment passé. Vous aimez les jeux nerveux à la [i]Hotline Miami like[/i], où chaque erreur se paie cash et où chaque salle devient un puzzle mortel ? Imaginez ça… avec un joueur de football américain qui élimine ses ennemis à coups de tacles dévastateurs. Bienvenue dans Tacle For Loss. [h1]En résumé :[/h1] [list] [u][b]Gameplay[/b][/u] [*][b] Fluide et ultra agréable[/b] : les déplacements sont précis, réactifs, et on sent immédiatement le contrôle total du personnage. [*][b] Mécanique de tacle brillante[/b] : super facile à prendre en main, mais demande une vraie stratégie pour éliminer un maximum d’ennemis en un seul enchaînement. [*][b] Un vrai jeu de positionnement[/b] : chaque salle est un mini puzzle. Il faut analyser les trajectoires, anticiper les déplacements ennemis et choisir le bon angle d’attaque. [*][b] Sensation d’impact satisfaisante[/b] : chaque tacle claque, chaque élimination est propre et nerveuse. [*][b] Améliorations bien pensées[/b] : débloquer des capacités permet de mieux gérer les différents types d’ennemis au fur et à mesure de la progression. [*][b] Progression motivante[/b] : on a constamment envie d’aller plus loin, d’optimiser ses runs et de maîtriser parfaitement chaque niveau. [*][b] ADN Hotline Miami assumé[/b] : vue top-down, rythme soutenu, tension permanente… mais avec une identité football US très originale. [/list] [u][b]Direction artistique[/b][/u] La DA est [b]hyper chouette[/b]. Les niveaux sont super bien travaillés, lisibles tout en étant stylisés. Les artworks sont juste [b]insane[/b], avec une vraie identité visuelle forte. On sent un vrai soin apporté à chaque environnement, chaque détail participe à l’ambiance. [u][b]Audio[/b][/u] La musique est superbe. Elle accompagne parfaitement l’action et renforce la tension pendant les phases de combat. Les bruitages sont percutants, les impacts ont du poids, et l’ensemble crée une immersion nerveuse très efficace. [h1]Points positifs supplémentaires :[/h1] [list] [*][b] Histoire prenante[/b] : on a réellement envie de savoir ce qui s’est passé. La narration pousse le joueur à avancer jusqu’au bout. [*][b] Difficulté stimulante[/b] : exigeant sans être injuste, chaque échec donne envie de relancer immédiatement. [*][b] Identité forte[/b] : mélanger football américain et gameplay nerveux à la Hotline Miami était audacieux… et ça fonctionne. [*][b] Une traduction du jeu [/b] : certaines personnes aiment découvrir le jeu en français et c'est chose faite dans ce jeu. [/list] [h1]Points négatifs :[/h1] [list] [*]J’aurais adoré un [b]mode carnage[/b] avec énormément d’ennemis sur une grande map, juste pour le défouloir. Le niveau avec les tonnes de zombies sur le terrain de foot était ultra satisfaisant, et un mode dédié à ce type d’expérience serait incroyable. [*]Pas assez d’[b]achievements[/b] à mon goût (petit kif perso de chasseur de succès). J’aurais aimé des défis liés au nombre de kills par type d’ennemi, à l’utilisation de certains pouvoirs, ou à des runs parfaites. [/list] [h1]Conclusion :[/h1] [b]Tacle For Loss[/b] est une vraie réussite. Un gameplay fluide, une mécanique centrale originale et grisante, une DA marquée et des musiques qui frappent juste. C’est exigeant, stratégique, nerveux, et terriblement satisfaisant quand on réussit à nettoyer une zone avec un seul tacle parfaitement placé. Un grand bravo pour ce superbe travail, et merci de m’avoir donné l’opportunité de le faire découvrir à ma communauté ! [I]Avis donné sur la version actuelle du jeu. Le fait d’avoir reçu le jeu gratuitement ne change en rien mon avis.[/i] [table] [tr][th]Critère[/th][th]Note[/th][/tr] [tr][td]Gameplay[/td][td]9/10[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Audio / OST[/td][td]9/10[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Direction artistique[/td][td]9/10[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Level design[/td][td]8.5/10[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Variété des ennemis[/td][td]8/10[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Progression / Améliorations[/td][td]8.5/10[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Narration / Histoire[/td][td]8.5/10[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Rejouabilité[/td][td]7.5/10[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Fun / Satisfaction des enchaînements[/td][td]9.5/10[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Potentiel futur (si ajouts de modes/achievements)[/td][td]9.5/10[/td][/tr] [/table]
Esse jogo me fez repensar um pouco meus critérios com jogos porque confesso que não é exatamente o tipo de jogo que me chamaria a atenção mas eu quebrei minha cara. é muito divertido e achei até que bastante desafiador você vai ter que pensar bastante em como eliminar os inimigos e utilizar da mecânica de combos pra conseguir ter êxito. dou um destaque aqui pra arte do jogo, iluminação e trilha sonora que achei muito boas também.
Es macht einfach Laune, Super Game! einfach auch mal was anderes.
el juego es divertido de esos juegos que tienen historia, y jugabilidad que te recuerdan los 90's, recomendadisimo
I like the idea and the dark story behind the main hero. The game can be quite challenging and bizarre at times :D
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Trends
Concurrent players on Steam, sampled daily since tracking started.
Audience
Estimated from the language of this game's reviews — a proxy for where players are, not official Steam demographics.
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