The new HD box is on its way. The brownie points are being banked. The dreadful tat is in the shops (have you got your Engerland beer fridge yet?). The early symptoms of World Cup fever are setting in and that means us Fantasy Managers need to up our search for a fix this Summer.

While there have already been a few early entries, perhaps the most significant game launch so far has spawned from the marriage of Ronald McDonald and Sepp Blatter (I can’t tell you how hard it was to resist the obvious clown joke), with the official FIFA game, presented by McDonalds, opening up for registration at the weekend…

Just like the Champions League effort sponsored by the burger flippers, this game could well be as close as we’re likely to get to a Fantasy Premier League-like experience. There are some clear similarities in the rules – most notably the fluctuating player prices (measured by 1-10 values in this game) and the nomination of a Captain to earn double points. We all know what fun and dilemmas those two features can produce.

There’s plenty of unpredictable curve-balls thrown our way though; the 23-man squad with only two players from each nation allowed at the Group Stages, will be a real test and one that promises to make this game one that separates the men from the boys, or the Big Mac’s from the Happy Meals if you want to flog the analogy to death.

The way you can use this squad once the game gets underway promises to be even more testing. The group stages are split into three rounds of matches and you can choose to sub players in and out of your eleven once the round is underway. This means you can switch players in and out after they’ve played in the round, including your captain. This allows you to gamble points you’ve already earned against those potentially earned by players on your bench who are yet to take part in the round. So, although only eleven players can score you points each round, this is very much a squad game and tinkerers will fancy themselves as having an advantage over the hands-off brigade.

The scoring system also favours the hardcore manager. While a straight five points is earned for a goal scored and three for an assist, there are so supplementary bonus points to be scored that are far less straightforward to predict and follow while you’re sat in front of the box.

The attacking bonus point system looks particularly puzzling. According to the rules players will earn a point for every two balls they deliver into the penalty area. It’s then stated that this can be via “Player making run, Player passing, Player receiving, Cross”. Crystal clear? Not quite. Add the fact that points are also lost for every five “balls given away” and things get even more cloudy. Apparently this is calculated from the “sum of wrong passes (except wrong clearances) and losing possession tackles suffered”. Right.

Try explaining that as you round up numbers for your league in the office. Follow it up with the fact that there are defending bonus points which score bonus for recovering a ball, balanced out by lost points for every three fouls committed. Then mention that they’ve got to choose 23 players and then hit them with the fact that there are three modes including a classic scoring league, Head-to-head leagues and a World Cup mode. The latter in particular, adds more fun and flavour but it all adds to a rather bamboozling array of rules and options that threatens to intimidate all but the toughened Fantasy Manager.

This is not your ideal game for a casual mini-league situation then but it is free to play so there’s no qualms there. And, despite the complexities, the challenge it presents and the familiarity to the Fantasy Premier League game make it an option that we’re likely support here on the site.

Squad selection opens up on June 4th, by which time we may well have found ourselves a couple of alternatives and abandoned this option. Until then, with free registration already underway, we’ve set up both a Classic (League Code – 7734-1780) and Head-to-head (League code – 7734-1816) leagues for you guys to join.

We will bring you our views on some of the other World Cup Fantasy games on offer over the next week or so, with the Sky Sports and Daily Telegraph games already open and the Sun Dream Team game set to launch very soon.