Best games to play after Football Manager 25 got cancelled

Are you gutted to hear that Football Manager 25 has been cancelled? Us too. So we’ve put together a list of the best games to fill that FM-sized hole in your life.

After a troubled development, Football Manager 25 is officially dead. Sports Interactive have made the difficult decision to pull the plug following multiple delays and focus all of their resources on making the next installment, FM26, the best it can possibly be.

But if you’re a fan of the annual football sim, which has been released like clockwork every year since 2004, then you’ve likely been left with a void that you’re eager to fill.

Look no further, because there are plenty of other games to keep you occupied now that FM25 is no more.

EA FC 25

EA SPORTS

Ok, I know comparing EA SPORTS FC to Football Manager is like comparing a MacBook to a NASA supercomputer, but if you want your football fix, you can’t go wrong with EA FC 25 Career Mode.

While it lacks the depth and intricate management of FM, it scratches that itch of taking a team from rags to riches with nothing but smart signings and tactical nous. You have the freedom to manage any club from the world’s biggest leagues, all with a level of authenticity and licensing that’s completely unmatched.

Plus, you have the added bonus of being able to take matters into your own hands and actually play with your dream team, rather than just standing on the touchline. Who knows? After decades of menu-hopping and managing changing-room dynamics, you might find the simplicity of EA FC 25 liberating.

F1 Manager 2024

Frontier Developments

If you don’t mind swapping the pitch for the track, then F1 Manager 2024 is arguably the closest analog to Football Manager out there. Just like FM, you’re tasked with building your own F1 team from the ground up; hiring drivers, building a car, and trying to fight your way to the podium.

There’s all the micro-management you could possibly want, whether you’re planning the number of pit stops or trying to find the budget to upgrade your engine, and seeing it all come together on race day will have you popping the champagne at your desk.

Out of the Park Baseball 2024

Out of the Park Developments

Sticking in the realm of sports games, Out of the Park Baseball is a seriously underrated series that’s consistently been churning out complex management sims for years. Just like FM and F1 Manager, you’re put in control of a startup baseball team with the goal of leading them to MLB glory.

There’s a dizzying amount of depth to its systems, giving you complete control of every aspect of your burgeoning franchise, from training its players to developing the stadium. There’s even the option to go back in time and recreate a classic league.

If you’re a baseball fan or just a general lover of sport, OOTP Baseball 2024 is a home run.

Two Point Hospital

Two Point Studios

From the fickle world of sports to saving actual lives, Two Point Hospital might seem a world away from Football Manager at first glance. The smell of sweat has been replaced by sanitizer, as you have to oversee a new hospital and manage its constant stream of patients.

But once you get under the hood, you’ll see it’s got many of the same conundrums to solve. Money, training, and even the morale of staff all need to be taken into consideration as you weigh up whether to build a new room full of beds or a relaxing break room for your doctors and nurses.

It’s definitely a change of surroundings, but it’s no less rewarding when your plan comes together and every facet of your business starts singing.

Stardew Valley

ConcernedApe

If you’re anything like me, Football Manager has an almost hypnotic quality that can turn a short session before bed into a caffeine-fuelled all-nighter. 2016’s Stardew Valley is arguably the gold standard for this type of experience, offering one of the coziest and most addictive farming sims out there.

There’s nothing complicated here — you plant seasonal crops to sell for profit, use that money to expand your operation and buy more seeds, rinse and repeat. But if you come for the agriculture, you’ll stay for the relationships you form with the quirky townsfolk or the enticing lure of exploring the mines.

It’s been nearly a decade since I first stepped foot in Stardew Valley and I still find myself coming back regularly. There’s nowhere nicer or more welcoming to wait for FM26.

If none of these tickle your fancy, then be sure to check out our list of the 100 best games ever made or the biggest games coming in 2025, and you’ll find something to tide you over.