The last four years have seen the rise of many fads, such as Ugg boots, Flappy Golf, and the emergence of TikTok. Most recently, there has been a new game going around the hallways of St. Louis U. High that everyone is playing (outside of school hours of course). Currently the sixth most popular free game on the AppStore, everyone is playing RetroBowl, and for good reason.

RetroBowl is an arcade-style football game that gives the player just two options for every play: pass or run. Players cannot play defense, only offense. The player then tries to march down the field and score a touchdown. 

The game offers players a chance to choose which NFL team they want to play as, and take control of that franchise until they win the RetroBowl, when they have a chance to switch to a new team if they wish. Although the game uses real teams, all the players and coaches in the game are fake. 

“I stick with one (team), I have my main one. I didn’t pick a team from the beginning, I randomized it and I’ve been the Detroit Lions for 18 (game) years,” said sophomore Robert Lawyer.

No one could have predicted how fast RetroBowl would catch on at SLUH, as now members of each class are playing it. One of the reasons why RetroBowl is so popular is that the game has something for everyone to enjoy.

“You get to be a team manager, you get to be a coach, you get to recruit players, you get to play and win RetroBowls, and compete at the highest level. You’ll never get to know the full scale of RetroBowl until you get to experience the epic highs and lows of the game. You get to build player connections like I did with my quarterback Ross Lambo, he has 6 MVPS and 11 rings,” said senior Nick Kramer. “I have the most wins for a coach, more than Bill Belichick.”

“I’ve been playing nonstop, I started three weeks ago and I am in year 10,” said sophomore Tommy O’Keefe.

Lastly, the game offers a 99 cent upgrade for those who choose to take it. With the upgrade, players can have a 12-man roster instead of 10, name their team and players, and create jerseys for their new team. Still, some players have played for a while and never bought the upgrade, thinking it may not be worth it.

“I wanted the 12-man roster and the team editor function. I got it in one of the first weeks I played, I had a couple bucks on my Apple ID, so I said why not. But now I really do need the 12-man roster, it has come in clutch,” said Lawyer

“Most definitely, I highly recommend it, you get to have a 12-player team, you can name your team and players, it’s pretty fun,” said Kramer.

“I’ve been playing for 22 (game) years and I won 18 RetroBowls. I didn’t think the 99 cents was worth it, I think the version I have still allows me to be the best coach in the league,” said senior Matt Windler.