About Penalty Shooters 2 (Football)
I used to play a different penalty shootout game for years, but the last update filled it with so many forced ads and weird permissions that I finally deleted it. I was looking for a straightforward replacement and found Penalty Shooters 2. I’ve had it on my Samsung A54 for about five weeks now. It does one thing and does it pretty well: penalty shootouts. You don’t have to learn complex tactics or build a team. You just take shots and try to save them. It’s perfect for killing time, like when I’m waiting for my bus in the morning. The simplicity is its biggest strength, especially coming from an app that felt like it was trying to do too much.
Features & Highlights
The main draw is the back-and-forth of shooting and goalkeeping. Taking a penalty uses a simple power bar and lets you aim anywhere in the goal. It feels really good to slot one right into the top corner. When you’re in goal, it’s all about reading the shooter and timing your dive. Last Saturday, I was playing a cup final that went to sudden death. On the final kick, I guessed the shooter was going left, dove, and just got a fingertip to it. The ball hit the post and went out. I actually yelled “yes!” in my living room. That kind of moment is why I keep playing. You can unlock different national teams by winning tournaments, which gives you a nice little goal to work towards without paying. The graphics are cartoony and bright, which I like—it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
User Experience
It loads fast and gets you into a game immediately. The controls are perfect for a phone: tap to shoot, swipe to dive. No virtual joysticks or confusing buttons. I can finish a full tournament in under ten minutes, which is ideal. My biggest issue, and it’s a common one, is the ads. You get a video ad after every single match. Sometimes it’s a short 5-second one you can skip, other times it’s a full 30-second unskippable ad for a game I’d never play. It completely kills the momentum when you’re on a roll. I find myself putting the phone down after a match because I don’t want to sit through another ad right away.
Pricing
The game itself is completely free. All the teams and modes are unlocked by playing, which I really respect. There’s no “energy” system or pay-to-win mechanics. The only thing you can buy is a one-time purchase to remove ads. I think it’s around three bucks. I haven’t bought it yet because I wanted to see if I’d stick with the game first. For the amount of play I’ve gotten, it seems like a fair deal if the ads start to really bug you. You get the full experience for free, which is good, but the ad-free option is there if you want it.
Updates & Support
I haven’t had any crashes or bugs bad enough to make me contact support, so I can’t say how good they are. Looking at the Play Store page, the developer, CodeVlyca, does update the app every couple of months. The updates seem to be small—adding a new team, fixing little things. It doesn’t feel abandoned. The app store reviews are a mixed bag; some people complain about the ads (fair) and others about the AI keeper being too good sometimes (also fair). The general vibe is that it’s a stable, maintained casual game.
Security & Privacy
This is where I get cautious. When I installed it, I checked the permissions. It requests access to “Photos/Media/Files” and “Wi-Fi connection information.” The file access is probably just to save game progress locally, which is fine. The Wi-Fi info is a bigger red flag for me—it’s often used for ad targeting and tracking. I dug into the app’s Play Store listing to find the “Data safety” section. It says data is encrypted in transit and that they collect “App activity” and “Device or other IDs” for advertising and analytics. They say they don’t share it with third parties, but I’m always skeptical of that claim. I don’t love it, but it’s pretty standard for a free ad-supported game. I just make sure I’m not signed into any personal accounts on my phone when I play it.
How do the shooting and goalkeeping mechanics work in Penalty Shooters 2?
When shooting, you use a simple power bar and tap to aim anywhere in the goal, making it easy to place the ball in the top corner. As a goalkeeper, you read the shooter's direction and swipe to dive, with timing being key to making saves. It’s a straightforward, satisfying back-and-forth that works great on a phone.
Can I unlock new teams or content without paying?
Yes, you can unlock different national teams by winning tournaments, which gives you a nice goal to work toward without spending any money. The game keeps things simple, so the main reward is progressing through matches and earning new teams through gameplay.
Why do I see so many ads, and is there a way to reduce them?
Penalty Shooters 2 shows a video ad after every match, ranging from a short 5-second skippable ad to a full 30-second unskippable one. Unfortunately, there’s no built-in way to remove ads without paying, so you’ll have to tolerate them or consider a premium version if available.
The game feels slow or crashes on my phone—what can I do?
First, make sure your app is updated to the latest version from your app store, as updates often fix bugs. If it’s still laggy, try closing background apps or restarting your phone, since the game is lightweight and usually runs well on devices like the Samsung A54.
How does Penalty Shooters 2 compare to other penalty shootout games?
Unlike many competitors that pile on complex tactics, team building, or invasive ads, Penalty Shooters 2 focuses purely on penalty shootouts with simple controls and quick matches. It’s a great replacement if you’re tired of apps that try to do too much and just want a fast, fun shootout experience.
