Handball 17

Have you always dreamed of standing shoulder to shoulder with the greatest handball champions? Pulling off set plays, Kempa tricks, spin shots, and more amazing skills? The leading handball simulation is where you can pull off all kinds of handballing exploits. Play in single-player, or with or against your friends, and become the undisputed champion… without even getting off your sofa.

Handball sims have never really been popular with game developers, who are often only interested in football! But for the past two years, Handball 17 has been keeping fans of the sport satisfied.

French publisher Bigben even enlisted an expert to help them make the game, in the form of Thierry Omeyer, the star goalkeeper who has just retired from the French national team. So while it's true that you have to play with the teams as they were back in 2017, that's not necessarily a bad thing if you get to play as Nikola Karabatic for PSG, who will be sorely missed from the national team this year.

Handball 17 features a wide selection of teams, with the top two French, German, Spanish, and Danish divisions all in the game. Three game modes are available to play, and in addition to the usual friendlies, you can also play in Career Mode, where you control a player over the course of their entire career, as well as a Season Mode.

When it comes to the game itself, you're spoilt for choice with a healthy selection of shots: the spin shot is there, of course, ready to catch the keeper flat-footed after a rebound. Then there's the hip shot, one of the most famous in the sport, which you can use to trick a wall of three or four opposing players. But be warned, as with all sim games, this one will take a bit of practice before you are ready to become the champ!