Golfie Review

Minigolf meets deckbuilding in Golfie, a new game from developers Triheart Studio that takes a roguelike approach to putt-putt golfing. Here are my thoughts on the creative mix of genres that make up this game.

A copy of this game was provided for the purposes of this review.

Game Basics

Golfie has what you expect in most minigolf games, including increasingly difficult maps and control of power. The twist comes in with power-up cards, in which you build a deck with different options like increased power, jumps, teleportation, etc. Each turn you will get to choose your power-ups and discard what isn’t used, and you will have to determine what power-ups will help you the most given the map. And you can also unlock new cards by hitting crystals to increase your options in your deck.

Gameplay

The game is quite straightforward overall and does have a tutorial to explain its unique pieces clearly. There a different modes: currently a free mode and a story. Multiplayer is coming and that I think will be the big seller since many people use golf games to play with friends. But having the solo modes is a big plus in my opinion since it adds meaningful progression when playing alone.

I’d even dare to say that Golfie could also be considered a puzzle game, since in a few instances that I experienced you did need to puzzle your way to get to some holes by smartly using power-ups. Plus having to do it within par can add to the challenge and strategic thinking. This is what really makes this game special in comparison to other minigolf games.

One thing I wish I could have been able to adjust within the game was the sensitivity. For me, the looking around was very sensitive while choosing the power and aim was a little laggy even after lowering quality settings. So if I could have tweaked those individually it would have been really nice.

Overall, Golfie is a fun and unique golf game that keeps the most fun parts of playing putt-putt while adding a bit more strategy and customization to how you play. Since it is still in early access there are still many features to come, like multiplayer, but what they have now is already a solid foundation for an enjoyable game.