Despelote

What does it means to recreate a city that doesn’t exist anymore? How can video games mediate feelings of loss, nostalgia and belonging? In this episode, we will explore the soundtrack of “Despelote” with Julian Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena, the creators of this narrative-driven, semi-autobiographical soccer game set in Quito, Ecuador, in 2001, during the lead-up to the World Cup. The game focuses on the experiences of a young boy and his relationship with football, family, and the cultural context of the time, including the country’s financial crisis and dollarization.