Six million people played the game last year, part of a growing series that has seen players take charge of managing a football team.

But since the 2000s, there have been significant changes. Little circles bouncing around on a green rectangle have developed into a full-fledged 3D simulation that players frequently claim to have spent hundreds of hours immersed in every year, either with pride or with regret.

The BBC chatted with Sports Interactive, the British studio behind Football Manager, about the evolution of the beloved game as its 20th installment hit stores on Monday.

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“In my opinion, I’m the one creating the game for myself; the fact that a few million other people also enjoy it is merely a coincidence.”