Soccer Skills 2: World Cup

Soccer Skills 2: World Cup puts you in charge of a national team in a short tournament. You start at the quarter-finals and play quick matches until the grand final. It is made by Radical Play, the studio behind other Soccer Skills games on Poki, including World Cup, Euro Cup and Champions League editions. The setting is a 3D pitch, and the structure is a knockout path: win and you move on, lose and the tournament is over.

Almost everything is done with one gesture. You press and hold to aim, then release to shoot. The same drag-and-release idea covers the moments a match is made of: passes, shots on goal, throw-ins, corners, fouls and penalties. The direction you drag sets where the ball goes, and the release is when it goes, so most of the skill lies in judging both before you let go. Because one control does many jobs, the game is quick to learn. A pass to a teammate and a shot at goal use the same press, drag and release; what changes is where you aim. Set pieces, such as a corner or a penalty, slow the match down and give you a clean moment to line up the ball.

Because matches are short, each set piece is a hot moment that carries weight. A corner or a penalty can decide a quarter-final, and a loss stops your run toward the final. Play each situation calmly rather than shooting at the first chance. Each win opens the gates to the next round and brings the grand final closer, and the matches are short enough to play one in a few minutes.

• Press and holdStart aiming
• DragSet the direction
• ReleasePass or shoot

• Take your time while holding. The ball goes when you release, so aim first and let go only when the line looks right.

• Treat corners and penalties as chances. In quick matches, one set piece can be the whole difference. Line them up carefully rather than releasing quickly.

• A pass is often better than a long shot. The same gesture does both, so choose a teammate when the goal is crowded.

• If a direction keeps failing, try a smaller drag. Small adjustments are easier to repeat than large sweeping ones.

Football fans and anyone looking for cool games with a single, easy-to-learn control. Quick matches make it a fit for short sessions on a phone as well as on a computer. Players who prefer to build a team or manage a season will not find that here: the game is about the matches themselves.

Drawbacks, honestly

— Poki shows ads around its games, including this one.

— The tournament covers the knockout stage only, from the quarter-finals to the final, so there is no long league or season.

— Judging aim and release can take a few attempts before shots go where you intend.

Which stages does the tournament include?

You lead your national team from the quarter-finals to the grand final, through quick matches.

How do I shoot?

Press and hold to aim, then release to shoot. Passes, throw-ins, corners, fouls and penalties use the same drag-and-release control. The length of the drag and the moment you let go both matter.

Who made the game?

Radical Play, which also made other Soccer Skills games on Poki, such as World Cup, Euro Cup and Champions League. If you enjoy this one, the other editions use a similar idea.

• Talking Tom Gold RunAlso rewards timing, but with constant reactions instead of one aimed shot.
• Vortelli's Pizza DeliveryAnother game with short goals in a single setting, this time deliveries in a city.