How to play
When shooting: aim with the mouse or touch, hold to charge power, click or release to shoot. Curve is added by swiping in a curved motion. When keeping: click or tap the direction you want to dive. Reactions must be quick. Best-of-five penalties decides each round.
Game features
- 32-nation tournament mode with bracket progression
- Aim, power, and curve control on penalty shots
- Keeper mode with reaction-based diving
- Free kick mode with wall avoidance
- Local two-player mode for friends
- Customisable team kits and player appearance
Editor review
Penalty Shootout focuses on a single football mechanic and executes it with care. The aim-power-curve shooting system is straightforward but rewards practice: a hard straight shot has higher base success rate but is more predictable; a curved shot to the top corner has lower base success but is essentially un-saveable when executed perfectly.
The keeper mode is the game's most surprising component. The keeper has only a fraction of a second to read the shooter's body language and dive in the right direction. After ten or twenty shots you start picking up tells — the shooter's leg position, the foot's approach angle — and your save rate improves noticeably. This is a small but genuine skill curve.
The 32-nation tournament mode provides extended play. Each match is a five-penalty shootout (sudden death if tied), and the bracket progresses through knockout rounds to the final. Win the tournament to unlock alternate kits and bonus modes.
The local two-player mode is the game at its most fun: one player shoots, the other plays keeper, alternating roles. The keyboard controls are functional but the mouse is genuinely better for the curve mechanic; mobile touch works adequately. For a free browser football game, Penalty Shootout is one of the better implementations. Recommended.