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The fundamentals of #IDARB are immediately recognisable to anyone with even a passing familiarity with most sports - two teams vie for control of a ball, which they must move to the opposite team's goal to score points. The reality of playing it is far, far different. Welding the anarchy of Smash Bros., NES-era platforming, and Twitter hashtags into a curious pastiche, #IDARB is an absolute farce. At times it can be too much, but more often than not it's a vehicle for chaotic fun that rewards those that can manage its many nuances. First, a confession: I'm rubbish at #IDARB. I breezed through the single player modes, introducing myself to some of the ideas driving the game. I learned about its Smash Bros and football references, and thought I had a decent handle on how to play well enough. But those trial runs gave me an inflated sense of confidence.
I invited a few friends over to help me test out multiplayer options and I was crushed. My first match? I lost 44 to 3. The next wasn't much better. 41-7. Then 35-15. After eight more games, I never managed to rack a win. In spite of that, I found myself having a great time. With each failure, I came back looking to try a bit harder. That was enough to tell me I was playing a special game.
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