Retro Bowl was built around one decision maker. The player calls the offensive plays and also works as general manager, while the game simulates the defense.
The game is listed as single-player, yet a February 2023 update added exhibition games with a second player.
Because Retro Bowl is available on several platforms, the sections below name the version each detail applies to.
The Versions
Retro Bowl launched in January 2020 on iOS and Android, and a Nintendo Switch version followed on February 10, 2022.
Retro Bowl+ was relaunched as NFL Retro Bowl ’25 on September 5, 2024, with teams licensed through the NFL and the NFL Players Association. The licensed edition now updates yearly, and the latest, NFL Retro Bowl ’27, arrived on September 3, 2026.
Exhibition Mode on Mobile
In February 2023, New Star Games released an update for iOS and Android that added exhibition games with a local 2 player mode.
Exhibition Mode is a one-off match in which a player can face the AI or pass the device around to play locally with a friend, without the extras of Career Mode. Players pick two of the 32 teams modeled on NFL franchises for the match.
GGRecon reported at the time that multiplayer is pass and play, meaning there is no online functionality.
Exhibition Mode in the Browser
Browser players had a head start. The developer’s February 3, 2023 announcement said exhibition games were coming soon to iOS and Android and pointed players to the game’s website, where the mode could already be tried through the Option screen.
The browser version on Poki also lists a 2 player mode under Exhibition Game, supported on desktop, phone and tablet, and the page for Retro Bowl describes the mode as a way to test plays and strategies without consequences on a career.
Switch and Online Play
Nintendo Life’s review noted that the Switch edition supports the NES and SNES Switch Online controllers and that quarters last one, two or three minutes depending on the player’s choice.
New Star Games said in February 2023 that exhibition mode was coming to the Nintendo Switch version soon. The pages reviewed do not confirm when it arrived.
How Widely the Game Has Spread?
Retro Bowl ranked first among downloaded apps on Apple’s App Store in late 2021.
The App Store listing now shows 4.8 out of 5 from over 916K ratings, with the game free to download and supported by in-app purchases.
A spin-off, Retro Bowl College, launched on September 18, 2023 with 250 college teams and a scholarship fund in place of a salary cap.