Cricket is a hugely misunderstood sport. Those who don’t watch cricket and don’t understand it claim that it’s boring and drawn-out, but for those of us who are fans, the opposite is true. Cricket can be riveting and tense, but it can also be deeply strategic and intellectual. It’s fun to watch and to involve yourself in, too; that’s why people constantly want to know the latest and best IPL bet tips, so they can enhance their love of cricket.
With that in mind, it stands to reason that there would be great representation for cricket in the world of video games as well. However, there aren’t quite as many great cricket video games as you might think. Perhaps it’s the niche nature of the sport that puts developers off creating games in this field, but either way, we think it’s dramatically underserved. Here are the best cricket games to check out in 2022.
Cricket 22
At the time of writing, Cricket 22 is sitting at a “Mostly Positive” rating on Steam, which probably won’t instil you with confidence. However, cricket fans are pretty critical, so even that tentatively positive rating should be taken optimistically. Cricket 22 is a fully-licensed Ashes game that delivers new fielding and bowling controls, as well as a narrative-based story mode and a fully authentic cricket commentary team. Despite all of this verisimilitude, it’s also one of the most accessible cricket titles you can play. You can grab this one on PC and consoles, so give it a look if you’re a cricket fan!
Don Bradman Cricket 17
Despite being a relatively old title by modern gaming standards – this one’s been out since 2016, after all – it’s still one of the best cricket experiences you can get. You’ll start off your career playing local cricket, before graduating to your national side, all the while fielding (no pun intended) the dramas involved with being a pro cricket player. You’ll also notice some pretty involved batting shots and visual effects on display here. Unfortunately, Don Bradman Cricket doesn’t have access to any official licences, but hey – a cheeky editing job will sort that out.
Cricket Captain 2021
If you prefer your cricket games to have more than a dash of management gameplay, then you should definitely look into Cricket Captain 2021. If you can imagine a manoeuvre or a play, then you’ll definitely find it here; Cricket Captain 2021 has been built to be as immersive and thorough a cricket management sim as you can think of. That means the match engine has been reworked since the last instalment, and it also means a whole lot of stat and move tweaks, like changes to bowler tactics, increased outfield catches, and more. If that means anything to you, you’ll love this game.
Big Bash Boom
On the other end of the spectrum, we have Big Bash Boom, a fun cricket game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you’re put off by all the dry statistics and decisions of a management game, then Big Bash Boom is the title for you. All of the players sport adorable oversized head designs, and moment-to-moment play is more about exaggerated movements and ridiculous achievements than it is about actually playing a real game of cricket. You can grab powerups, unlock new gear, and enjoy the licensed soundtrack to your heart’s content.
TableTop Cricket
Have you ever played the popular board game Subbuteo? Okay, we’re not sure it’s that popular anymore, but TableTop Cricket isn’t a million miles from the concept of Subbuteo. In essence, you are controlling a group of cricketers on a tabletop. Once again, the big-headed design of Big Bash Boom rears its…well, its head, and things are decidedly more arcadey; Big Ant (the head honcho of cricket video games) describes this one as “fast and furious”. You’ll embark on a world tour, playing matches that are designed to be much more tense and quick than regular cricket usually is.
Cricket 19
Before there was Cricket 22, there was this, still considered one of the greatest cricket video games of all time. Cricket 19 is, once again, developed and published by Big Ant Studios, and it brings the excitement of test match cricket to PC and consoles. You’ll get the chance to shape and mould a rookie player’s career, taking them once again from the local level all the way to international superstardom. The AI here is stellar, and the cricket feels fast, fluid, and smooth. If you played Cricket 22 but you weren’t too sure about it, this would be a good place to go.
Ashes Cricket
That’s right, it’s Big Ant again, back with yet another cricketing gem. Seriously, nobody else wants to step up to the plate and try their hand at a cricket sim? Well, since they don’t, we’ve pretty much got Big Ant’s lineup to choose from. Luckily, Ashes Cricket is another excellent offering from the Australian studio. You can take either England or Australia through the entirety of the Ashes tournament series, but you can also take the action to the local level and play as a single star player if you want to. Seek this one out if you want to see Big Ant’s cricket video game evolution over time.
As you can see, Big Ant has something of a monopoly on cricket games. Luckily, they’re pretty good at what they do, so no matter which of the above cricket games you play, you’re likely to have a good experience!
