Jumpers for Goalposts 3

Jumpers for Goalposts 3 lets the player take control of an promising 18 year old footballer who plays at the local team. The player knows there's interest from bigger clubs and decides to give it all to get the chance to play at the big stages. Maybe one day he will even get to represent his country in the World Cup? Like in the previous games in the series, the player starts out with playing a number of mini games covering different parts of the sport. This time there are seven available:

• Volleys
• Penalties
• Snap shots
• Passing
• Heading
• Turn & Shoot
• Overhead kick

In these mini games the player views his character from behind, and moves him around with the mouse. When the ball rolls into the field he has to time his kick to attempt a shot on goal. Once he has been able to score points in all games, he will get a few contract offers to choose from. The matches are similar to the text-based commentary from early Championship Manager games where the player is presented with text telling how the match unfolds. At times throughout the match the team will create a chance for the player who then gets the chance to score. This works in the same way as the mini games mentioned above.

The game is not all about what's going on at the training pitch and the stadium. Each week the player can also choose to socialize in different ways. This includes for example going to the pub or the cinema. Socializing will however impact the performance on training so it's important to keep a balance between social life and football life. The player gets rated in three ways: skill level, paparazzi level and manager approval, all 1 to 100. Manager approval increases when doing well in training and scoring goals while it will be lowered by being late for training after a night of partying. The paparazzi rating is based on the player's lifestyle and can be used for attracting bigger clubs and getting higher wages. To increase it the player can get a girlfriend to socialize with, although breaking up with said girlfriend will decrease it. Socializing is key for a higher paparazzi rating. The skill level is based on amount of training completed, matches played and goals scored.

The game has several girls that the player can attract by socializing, each with its own ratings. The player needs to keep an eye on what his girlfriend wants to do or he might get dumped. The player can also buy a car and a house which might help with attracting the girls. There is ten of each although the player can only own one at a time. This version also adds other stuff that can be bought, from a tattoo to a Caribbean island. It's even possible to buy Ken Bates' superyacht!

Agents play a bigger role in Jumpers for Goalposts 3 than they did in previous versions. The player starts out with a mate of his father but can choose to hire a more skilled agent later on. A better agent leads to higher wages and signing on fees when changing clubs. New in the game is the possibility to be fined or suspended.

In addition to solo play the Mousebreaker.com website also offers the option to compete against friends. This functionality requires a Facebook account and lets the player compare his score with others.