I have tried many GM games across all sports and this is the one that keeps me coming back. There are enough things to keep you busy for hours a day, like stats, scouting prospects for the draft, planning your next trade – or the game can be enjoyed in as little as 5 minutes a day, depending upon your schedule. The beauty of this game is there is no magic formula or best approach to win games, you customize your team the way you want to play.
Managers can choose between 4 offensive tactics and 5 defensive tactics. Do you want a fast aggressive approach like transition rushes, or a heavy hitting approach like crash the net. It’s up to you. Players have 9 attributes – skating, passing, puck handling, shooting, defense, physical, spirit, endurance, and face off skills. Each tactic requires certain attributes to be successful, so pick your players wisely. The player’s attributes will help determine what role you want them to play (sniper, playmaker, two way, grinder, power forward, enforcer, etc.) The players also have 6 different traits, along with age, height, weight, and shot hand, that sort of “bring them to life”. You actually feel like you are managing real players as the combination of attributes and traits make them unique. Once you have your players, you then determine how you want to set up your lines – scoring, two way, checking, energy – as well as how you want your defense to play.
The game is very simple to learn, but the developer had done a great job of making the small details matter. If you can’t tell already, this game is deep and can keep you entertained for hours.
The community is also great with many active members on discord. I have been playing 5+ years with no end in sight.