Backbreaker is a simulation-style American football game, which allows the player to take control of a team of football players and compete against the CPU or another player in a variety of game modes.[2] The game features 56 built-in teams plus seven unlockable teams, and also allows the player to create 32 additional ones for a total of 95 teams.[2] It lacks any licensing from the National Football League, due to the fact that they were not able to negotiate a licensing agreement with the NFL or NFLPA[3] Because of this, the developers emphasized the game's customization tools.[2]