When Golfie released at the beginning of the year, I enjoyed seeing others playing its multiplayer. Not enough for me to get it myself, but I knew that at some point I wouldn’t be able to resist. A few months ago, I almost did buy it, but then held out. It seemed like a game destined for the Jingle Jam Games Collection, being one of the most popular releases in the Yogscast Games library. And now, with Jingle Jam here, that is the case. Having played it myself, I don’t know why I didn’t take the opportunity to play it earlier.

Golfie advertises itself as being a roguelike minigolf deck-builder. With a name like Golfie, the minigolf part of that description is easy to understand. But what of the other two parts? The roguelike part is one half of the core of the game. This is a minigolf game where the course is always randomised. 18 holes across four environments, with an energy gauge that will fail you after too many times falling off or shots above par. The deck-building is the second part of that core.

Whether in the single-player or multiplayer modes, deck building is how you gain advantages. The core cards of power shot, curve shot, and lob shot can be stacked to improve the effectiveness of them. Across the holes, whether from blue crystals, vending machines, or other special conditions, new cards will be collected with varied and better effects. Whether enabling you to draw more cards, affecting the ball in some way, or placing objects on the green, the cards in your deck are your best traversal method.

Whether running through single-player or multiplayer, the procedurally-generated holes get harder the further into a run you are. Each environment also has its own difficulty quirks, whether that be navigating bridges and lakes on the cherry-blossom gardens, or swinging axes and lava pits at the castles. With the exception of the castles, all environments are built as floating islands, which means it is very easy to fall off without a bit of planning. But also means if you care to risk it, large sections can be skipped.

Along with the cards, there are also perks. Attained the same way as cards, except the crystals are red, these can be a big help in a passive sort of way. Some can increase the base abilities of the ball, such as giving it a bit of height per shot. Some can help you avoid an early end, such as pushing the par of all holes back one shot. There are also plenty of other effects. Choosing both perks and cards to suit your playstyle works, but the randomness can mess with strategies.

For both modes, that means making do with the cards you draw. With plenty of cards in the deck, you can sometimes find yourself with the perfect cards but being in the wrong position to make the most of a certain one. A combination of hyperspeed and something to slow that ball down would be perfect on a longer hole, but it isn’t going to matter if there’s something immovable in your way. Or you suspect that someone else will try to block you.

As for the differences between single-player and multiplayer, the latter is focused on points as the key to victory. Playing through the holes, it’s a race to get first to claim those bonus points, but crystals and coins will also score you some points. The energy gauge is still something to worry about, as you will lose points if it runs out. But you will be back for the next hole to enact revenge if someone caused you to lose that last point of energy. Or scrambling to earn a lot of points to stay ahead.

For single-player, the focus is on runs through 18 holes. The energy gauge is a larger cause for concern here, as if it fully depletes, that is the run over. Careful planning to keep that gauge full for the harder holes is necessary in case of easily avoided mistakes. If the stress of the hardcore mode is too much to handle, the casual mode removes the energy gauge. Here you can mess around however much you like, taking the opportunity to test out the effects of cards and attempt some risky plays without fear of failing the run.

At the end of a run, whether single-player or multiplayer, experience is earned which will level you up. Each level up gives you new cards and perks to use in future runs, as well as customisation options. The ball you use can be customised with skins, face wear, head wear, and energy trails. Yeah, it doesn’t make much sense that a ball can wear glasses or have a rubber duck on its head, but who cares about that when you can have a golf ball wearing a rubber duck.

Golfie is pure fun. As a mini golf game, it works. The powers given from cards and perks add to the base, providing the same amount of skill-based gameplay as it would have without them. But those extras provide something unique over other mini golf experiences. That uniqueness is what makes Golfie a worthwhile game to experience. And is why I can easily give it a recommendation.

Images Taken From:
Golfie | PC