Build your deck, play the cards and tee up swings

May 31, 2022 14:14 GMT  ·  By

I want one of the emeralds, but that means wasting at least one shot before making it to the hole. And I don’t really have the cards to make the push to the island the target is on. I search for a potential better angle of approach, but nothing seems to fit. So, I boost my ball twice and aim squarely for the green around the hole. I then need just one small push to win this round of golf in just three shots.

Golfie is developed by Triheart Studio and published by Yogscast Games. The game is now in Early Access on Steam, with the two companies saying that it will be launched fully in about nine months. The title mixes mini-golf, rogue, and card mechanics.

There’s no story in the game, with the player becoming a powerful entity that seems condemned to only interact with the world using cards and the ability to strike a gold ball. The tone of Golfie is chipper and bright and works well with its mechanics.

Speaking of which, the game is ambitious when it comes to mixing genres. The player engages in mini-golf rounds, choosing ball trajectory and force behind his shot. But he also has a hand of cards to work with, required to get to some areas, important when it comes to avoiding the void that surrounds courses and getting to the hole fast.

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The game is also built around a rogue-lite structure. Players choose what area to engage with. They lose energy if they go out of bounds or do not manage to complete a round. Spend it all and the run ends, with new cards and options opened up based on level. It’s a good framing for the other mechanics.

Golfie’s looks match its gameplay. The world is bright and sparse, all the better to allow the player plenty of leeway when it comes to golf action. All the important elements in the levels are easy to see and target. The sound design is also decent, although nothing stands out.

Conclusion

Golfie is a mix of ideas that could grab a varied audience when its 1.0 version arrives. The developers at Triheart Studio say that they are using Early Access to take in community feedback while adding more cards, power-ups, options, and even gameplay modes.

There are also plans to introduce multiplayer, which can make Golfie a very cool party game. Daily Challenges are already present. It will be interesting to see if the title will get enough variety in terms of mechanics and cards to make it more than an interesting mix of genres.

Preview code provided by the publisher.

Golfie screenshots (16 Images)

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