Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗The Comeback King
Ian Williams · Published by Subjunctive Software, https://www.subjunctivesoftware.com · Official site ↗
7 user reviews — 100% positive (7 reviews) · 26 achievements
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
40 years in the making, The Comeback King is a light-hearted, mildly satirical retro boxing management game set in the UK in the 1980s. Take on a has-been boxer and manage his career. Decide who he'll fight, train him up and send him into the ring! Can you guide your boxer to a Championship title?
£9.99
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Price history
Indie, Strategy, Sports · 2026 · More £5 - £15 games
Manage and train your way through the 1980s UK boxing scene in The Comeback King. Decide fights, shape your boxer's career, and aim for that Championship title.
About this game
"HE MIGHT BE DOWN... BUT HE'S NOT OUT!"
"Ten years ago he was the next big thing. The Golden boy. Championship material. But it all went south, see? He picked up some bad injuries, and his scumbag manager ran off with all the dosh. So now he wants it back. He wants one last crack at the title, before he gets too old. But he needs a manager. Think you've got the bottle?
"TIME TO PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS THEN."
Game summary
In The Comeback King, you're the manager of a faded fighter battling to win his first championship title. You manage the money, the trainers, the gyms, the tactics - but you don't control your boxer. During a match, you can shout out instructions (and maybe he'll follow your advice) and between rounds you can towel him down and patch him up. Otherwise, you'll sit there on the edge of your seat, peering through your fingers as the drama unfolds before you. Did you choose the right opponent? Did training concentrate on the right areas? Should you have invested more time in tactical coaching? Did you bring enough bandages? Will your boxer be a Punchbag Pawn or... The Comeback King?!
What they're saying about The Comeback King
"As a longtime boxing fan I appreciate the game’s sense of humor and narrative."
"Great demo! Loved it"
"Very nice, style is very good, throw in a ref and it's perfect"*
"Boxing games are cool"
"Nice, I like the look of it - have wishlisted!"
"You really deserve success with this game :)"
"Just played through the demo, very fun, this is a good one!"
"Good luck! Wishlisting it!"
"Nice pixel art"
"Love this! I missed the original"
"Those are some expensive sponges you got there"
Demo
The demo allows you to play 5 matches per career. All previous restrictions have now been removed! Please use the feedback button in the demo to let us know what you thought of it - or add your comments in the Steam Community Hub. You'll be able to load saved games from the demo into the full version when it's released.
Features
Retro pixel art style
Fully animated boxing matches
Tight game loop
Entrance music (10 tracks of original 80s-flavoured bangers written especially for the game!)
British humour
Shouting from the sidelines
Rampant 1980s inflation
Bone-crunching injuries (but no blood/gore)
Quick start guidance system
Play with stats on or 'Keep It Real' for a prize money bonus
40 years in the making
From designer Ian Williams:
This game is a slightly delayed sequel to 'Boxing Manager', an 8-bit classic that I released in the mid-1980s for the Spectrum 48K. You can still play it on an emulator.
This sequel retains many of the features of the original game but I've added more interaction during the matches, plus more gyms, the Shop, more choice of opponents, a refined Popularity system, full ranking table, entrance music and much more.
Future Plans
If there's a demand for it, I also have plans for a 'Downtown' expansion, which will add criminal elements like bribes, dives, illegal tonics and dodgy bets. Cushti!
AI disclaimer
No robots were harmed in the development of this game.
AI art was used for placeholders during the initial stages of development but these were all replaced with hand-drawn art by our artist Ozan D. This game contains no AI-generated art assets, code or SFX.
*There's now a Referee! He has great bouncy hair. :D
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i3 Processor or equivalent
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Dedicated graphics card with 512MB RAM and Webgl enabled
- Storage: 500 MB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 11
- Processor: Intel Core i7 Processor or equivalent
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Dedicated graphics card with 4096MB RAM and Webgl enabled
- Storage: 500 MB available space
Supported Languages
Latest news
AnnouncementsOfficial
New ideas for The Comeback King
Hi all!I'm currently considering a few ideas to enhance The Comeback King and would really appreciate some community feedback on them.Let me know if you're interested in participating and we'll get this chat going. I'll also need some beta testers when the work starts.Read full article on Community Announcements (SubjunctiveSoftware)Patch NotesOfficial
Patch release: Version 1.0.1.1
Fixed a bug where promotional gifts weren't received if the player had zero to start with.Read full article on Community Announcements (SubjunctiveSoftware)AnnouncementsOfficial
The Comeback King - release date!
I'm happy to report that the game will be released on 11 August at 12 noon GMT (well, BST to be precise).This has been a long, long road (not as long as GTA VI's, of course, but y'know) so it'll be great to see the game fully live on Steam.STEAM MACHINE UPDATE:I'm now the proud owner of the new Steam Machine. It's a great piece of kit. Yes, too expensive, but great nonetheless. And yes, The Comeback King works on the Steam Machine! It works really well, in fact. INSTRUCTIONS FOR STEAM DECK AND STEAM MACHINE USERSTo run the game you'll need to set the Compatibility Mode to Steam Linux Runtime 1.0 (Scout). In fact, any Linux Runtime will probably do but this is the only option I get and it works for me.On your device, go to the game and then click the cog for Settings.Choose Compatibility.Tick "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool".Choose "Steam Linux Runtime 1.0 (scout)" from the dropdown.Install the game.Do not try to install and run the game until you've done this: you'll be made to download a Web2View file, which is a Windows file and won't work on your device. If you have installed the game before setting the Compatibility Mode, uninstall it before going through the steps above.Read full article on Community Announcements (SubjunctiveSoftware)Community & EventsOfficial
Steam June Next Fest
The June 2026 Steam Next Fest kicks off on Monday 15 June and The Comeback King will be battling it out with all the other fantastic demos.So welcome to the game if you've found it during the Festival. I really appreciate all comments and match reports so please free to contact me at Subjunctive Software or leave a comment here.The latest version of the demo includes some balancing tweaks and QoL improvements.In some associated (and very exciting) news, I can announce that the Original Soundtrack is now available as a vinyl LP! You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Music, all those apps but I mean, a vinyl LP! Come on. :DRead full article on Community Announcements (SubjunctiveSoftware)Patch NotesOfficial
New expanded demo
I've just dropped a big update to the demo for The Comeback King. This is a significant version because it opens up the demo much more.Changes in this release:Removed all demo limitations apart from the 5 match limit! This means that gyms, all boxer characters and all entrance music tracks are now available in the demo!Added rampant 1980s inflation.Improved some screen designs.Added Promotional Gifts.Added option to view Live Stats during matches. This is also very significant as it changes the game in quite a fundamental way. You should switch Live Info (the new Live Stats and the ‘Match Balance’ bar) OFF if you prefer a more realistic experience.Improved boxer behaviour in the ring.Faffed about a lot with difficulty balancing (the hardest bit!).Zapped a few bugs.Let me know how you get on with it.The Comeback King is a light-hearted, mildly satirical retro boxing management game set in the UK in the 1980s. Take on a has-been boxer and manage his career. Decide who he'll fight, train him up and send him into the ring! Can you guide your boxer to a title contest against the division Champion?The next big milestone is the June Steam Next Fest... If you enjoy the demo and/or like the look of the game, please remember to wishlist it on Steam. Thanks!Read full article on Community Announcements (SubjunctiveSoftware)
