A chaotic and fun collection of 'sports'-related mini-games

I know some of you are still subscribed to Apple Arcade (hopefully not unintentionally!), but for me, the subscription service feels like a fever dream in 2020. Did I really play What the Golf? ove??r a year ago? I did. I loved it, and I think the iPhone was a great f??it for the silly sports spoof game, but I've moved on.

My three favorite Apple Arcade titles – What the Golf?, Shinsekai: Into the Depths, and Grindstone &ndas??h; have either branched out to other platforms or are planning to (in the case of C?apybara's puzzle gem).

This week, Triband brought What the Golf? to Steam, and if that doesn??'t sound enticing enough on its own, maybe the level editor will. The anything-goes nature of? this game is ideal for custom stages.

Oh no!🙀 Pretty sure this is gonna go wrong💥
We've been working on a Level Editor for WHAT THE GOLF?⛳

Also, it's finally out on STEAM: //t.co/Z9kNbHS7tf pic.twitter.com/EheGZFQGHd

— Tim Garbos (@timgarbos) October 22, 2020

"We've received so many level ideas from the community and our inbox is now full of them... so now there's a level editor," said Triband co-founder Tim Garbos. The level editor is in "early access alpha beta preview" (hah) and the game's Discord is ready and waiting for feedback from ??intrepid creators.

It's also worth noting that the Steam version comes with the bonus Sporty Sports levels if you missed them. What the Golf? will t?ypically cost $20, but with a launch-week discount, it's down to $13.99.

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The Sporty Sports Special update is live on Apple Arcade

Triband took the gameplay-as-comedy premise of What the Golf? to its (il)logical extreme, but the team hasn't run out of outlandish ideas for golf at its most abstract. The Apple Arcade version of What the Golf? got a Sporty Sports Special update today with 30 extra track-and-field-t??heme?d levels.

In retrospe??ct, archery g??olf seems like a no-brainer. It's the sport of champions.

Today's Apple Arcade update also includes faster load times, performance improvements, and a "Golf Menu 2.1 with enhanced GPS (Golf Positioning Service)" to help you explore the overworld. There's no word on an equivalent update for Nintendo Switch and PC other than "maybe...if people like it."

Even if you're not an Apple Arcade subscriber (and even if you skipped What the Golf? altogether), you've gotta hear to the catchy song in the trailer. I'm tempted, ??but I don't think I'll renew? just for these levels.

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Tigers, woods -- it's all here

In today's contest you can win a PC or Switch copy of What The Golf?!

Weird games! I love 'em. Normal is for boring jerks who have regular, important things to ?do. Not I, said the walrus -- I'm too busy trying to see how many hot dogs I can fit into a light socket. You know, the interesting stuff.

Speaking of hot dogs and interesting stuff, we snatched a few copies of Very Serious Golf Simulator What the Golf? to give awa?y so you, too c?an experience a little weird in your life!

I'm not going to say much about this one. ??It's a golf game, in the way that Pennywise is a circus clown. You do some golf-y things, but not really. Oh, also it just came to Switch and now has a local two-player mode, so there's that! ?Look, just watch the trailer and determine whether or not you'd like to play it, because no words I use are going to sway you.

Ok, you in? Good. Comment below telli??ng me what the golf, and you could win a copy! Make sure you also specify whether you'd like a Switch or PC copy. If you don't do that, I won't know which to enter you in and then you can't win because life is already complicated enough without me having to chase everyone down who can't follow simple instructions. It's early and I'm cranky, ok?!

We have three Switch NA and five PC copies (via Epic Games Store, please don't complain -- it's free) to give away; winners will be drawn Wednesday, May 27. Make sure to comment using a Dtoid account with your current email address on file. New to the site? Sign up here and let's what the golf together!

What the Golf? is available now for Switch and PC. We've got some more keys available over at PC Invasion, so check 'em out!

The post Contest: Let’s all hate golf together with a Switch or PC copy of What the Golf? appeared first on Destructoid.

Watch out for gophers

Triband's great "Golf game for people who hate golf" - What the Golf? - is finally ready to tee off on Nintendo Switch. The loopy links will be available to download from the Ninte?ndo eShop on May 21, pr??iced at around $20.

Originally released on PC and Apple Arcade in September of 2019, What the Golf? is a silly and cartoonish take on the sport beloved by rich folk, '90s business guys, and irresponsible world leaders. Completely absurdist by design, What the Golf? tasks players with completing a series of barely-golfing-related co?urses, such as throw??ing a carpet down a bowling alley, helping a strongman pick up his weights, or sniping people atop a skyscraper, all made possible by the game's bizarre physics and (frightening) imagination. Wanna drive a car on the green? Go for it! Maybe take a horse diving instead? Sure!

An all-new Party Mode will feature all your favourite characters, like "Burger Bird" and "Toaster," and will allow two players ??to tackle courses simultaneously, which sounds like a recipe for disaster. The Nintendo Switch port has been optimised for the hybrid console, integrating its touch-screen and gyro controls. If you're dying to play a golf ?game that has as little do with golf as is humanly possible, then be sure to give this ridiculous title a look when it arrives late next week.

What the Golf? launches o?n Nintendo Switch May ??21. It is available now on PC and Apple Arcade.

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Are you too good for your home?

What the Golf? is as good as I hoped it'd be, which is to say, "very." I??'m honestly relieved!

The game takes an otherworldly view of golf, twisting and turning a basic premise in increasingly outlandish ways not unlike something out of WarioWare. It's funny – and, crucially, fun.

There's no shortage of over-the-top silly games out there that are far more amusing in theory than they are in practice, and thankfully, What the Golf? avoids falling in with that crowd. The pace is always bounding from one surprise to the next. By the time you catch up, it's already onto the next joke.

What the Golf? (iOS [reviewed], Mac, PC, Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Triband
Publisher: Triband
Released: September 19, 2019 (Apple Arcade) / October 1, 2019 (PC) / TBA 2019 (Switch)
MSRP: Part of Apple Arcade ($4.99 a month) / $19.99 (PC, Switch)

If you've seen any of the trailers or gifs, you're pretty much up to speed. What starts as a simple exercise in golf quickly devolves ?into chaos. Suddenly, your golf ball isn't a ball at all, but rather, a house. Or a horse. Or a car caught up in a race. Or a cowboy hat that needs to be flung into bowling p??ins.

Most of the time, you can't even be sure what will happen when you take that first swing. Some levels are played in ?portrait mode, others are presented in landscape like a side-scrolling platformer, and certain stages are straight-up first-person shooters with gyro aiming. Again, this game goes places.

To keep things semi-grounded, the controls are consistent across more or less every level – you aim and determine the power of your stroke just like pulling back on a slingshot. It's simple, it's precise, and it feels great. What the Golf? works best with one-??finger touch controls, but there's controller support, too. I had decent enough results using a DualShock 4, so if you're skimming this review ahead of the game's release on other platforms like PC and Nintendo Switch, you shouldn't be concerned.

What the Golf? never seems to sit still or dwell on any one idea for too long, and that's where its magic lies. My biggest concern going in was that there would be duds, and while there are a few missteps, the sheer number of unique concepts is astounding. Even riffs on well-established games like Katamari Damacy, Super Meat Boy, Superhot, Portal, and Guitar Hero end up feeling original in their own way.

My? other pleasant surprise? The presentation. It really ties the whole game together.

If What the Golf? was a stitched-together collection of one-off gags, that would've been fine, if a bit underwhelming. But it's not! There's a charming, cohesive overworld to explore, complete with different themes for each zone and Arkanoid-esque boss b??attles. It's inherently enjoyable to just putt around as you move from area to area. I'm also happy there's some non-linearity to the level selection.

Levels are unlocked in groups, so if you get stuck, you can try your luck elsewhere. And the developers smartly decided to set aside the most challenging goals – like getting par or a hole-in-one – as optional objectives. That design choice keeps the game flowing and feeling breezy, which is perfect for?? mobile.

You're likely also wondering about the length. While I wasn't keeping exact track, I can offer an estimate. (Funny enough, there's an in-game counter, but mine's busted.) It took me a good couple of hours to beat What the Golf?, then I spent another co?uple of hours working back through the optional objectives, and I bet I?? still need at least one more hour to get most of the way there. Hitting 100% will be tough.

If you can make use of the one-month free trial for Apple Arcade, this game should be a no-brainer. It's among the most fun I've had on my phone in ages. If you're considering the pricier console or PC version of What the Golf?, well, just go with ??your gut. If this looks amusing to you, ??it probably will be.

_{[Th??is review is based on a retail build of the game through an Apple Arcade sub?scription purchased by the reviewer.]}

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Way, way better

What the Golf? is by far the shortest appointment I had at PAX West. In the overcrowded Indie Megabooth, where a day earlier I meet former Destructoid editor Hamza for the first time, its quirky demo encourages people to watch the utter silliness of its ridiculous premise. What the Golf? ??isn't aiming to be the next great golf game, but rather something that takes the basic concept of the sport and turns it on its head, kicks it in the face, and shoves it out a window.

Funded through Fig and currently in development for Steam and mobile devices, the game is the work of developer Triband, a small team from Denmark with a Geocities quality website. What the Golf? features gameplay in the same proximity as the sport, but with the types of crazy ideas people daydream about when they're stuck?? listening to Jim Nantz describe the slope rating of the Azalea hole at Augusta. I'm not just hitting balls, but houses, cars, soccer balls, golfers and more.

The demo features roughly 20 holes from the game, of which about 200 have been created, each putting their own spin on the concept. Using the Xbox One controller, I simply point my shot in a direction, hold down the swing button to charge the shot, then let go and see what happens. The end result of every shot is usually amusing, though it can be devastatingly funny depending on the theme. Each hole usually lasts just a few seconds, giving the game a WarioWare ??vibe. Peppered between the short green are longer challenges, creating a tempo that moves along at an enjoyable pace.

The best of the bunch are saved for last. The final two holes of the demo take their inspiration and color scheme from Superhot and the end result is amazing. Like the popular first-person sh?ooter, time only moves on these holes when I do. There are single-shot guns on the course I can pick u??p to take out bad guys, who then drop more guns for me to use. The two gaming concepts flow together perfectly and I can't wait to see what other industry influences find their way into the final product.

This is something I want to see more of from indie developers: games with simple but inventive premises that hold an absolute cornucopia of possibilities. What the Golf? is expected to launch in 2019 and I'm already making space for it on my iPad.

The post What the Golf? makes a boring sport better appeared first on Destructoid.

It takes some liberties, to put it mildly

What the Golf? bills itself as "the golf game for people who don't pl??ay golf." It's spot on.

One quick scroll through this gif-filled about page is all you'll need to know if this is your type of silly, experimental take on sports. You can golf a human. Or a horse! It also has bowling and soccer reimagined as golf. How about first-person golfing? Golf platforming? There's even golf boss battles.

I'm so down with this an??ything-goes, al??most game-jam-like vibe.

Developer Trib??and is seekin?g funding through Fig with a base goal set at a modest $50,000. Assuming that goes well -- and I really think it will -- then it'll move onto stretch goals at $65,000 (impossible golf challenges), $100,000 (local multiplayer battle), and $200,000 (a golf course level editor).

What the Golf? is currently planned for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Triband is ??"talking to platforms about the possibilities [of console ports], but it is no??t the primary focus."

What the Golf [Fig]

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