What the Golf
WHAT THE GOLF? | |
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Developer(s) | Triband |
Publisher(s) | Triband, The Label |
Composer(s) | Sune Køter Kølster |
Engine | Unity |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Apple Arcade, Nintendo Switch |
Release |
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Genre(s) | Sports |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
WHAT THE GOLF? is a video game developed and published by Triband. It was originally published on Apple Arcade subscription by The Label on 19 September 2019.[1]
Gameplay[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/38/What_the_Golf_Gameplay.png/220px-What_the_Golf_Gameplay.png)
The game revolves around completing levels to progress on the world map. The goal of each level is to reach the hole. Every level of the game has a twist on traditional golf. Each section of the world map has its own theme, which the level's unique mechanics follow.
Development[]
What the Golf was crowdfunded through American crowdfunding website Fig.[2] The developers chose golf as the sport to ridicule, saying that it was "mostly played by rich people, so it seemed like a safe target". The levels in the game were designed to be short, to be able to try as many jokes as possible. Much of the game's humor is based around slapstick, as it was seen as a form of comedy that would work regardless of where the player was. The game's crown system was designed to make players revisit levels and for people who wanted to complete everything. The developers considered having unlockable skins for the golf ball, but the idea ended up being scrapped. The slow-motion feature was originally intended for the game's soccer level, but it was added to the rest of the game.[3]
Release[]
What the Golf released on 19 September 2019 for iOS, iPadOS, and MacOS on Apple Arcade. A macOS version separate from Apple Arcade and a Windows port launched through the Epic Games Store on 1 October 2019.[4] A Nintendo Switch port was released on 21 May 2020.[5] A physical Nintendo Switch release was sold through Iam8bit alongside a vinyl soundtrack.[6] A Steam version was released on 22 October 2020.[7]
Reception[]
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | iOS: 79/100[8] PC: 83/100[9] NS: 84/100[10] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Destructoid | 8.5/10 |
GameSpot | 8/10 |
PC Gamer (US) | 88/100 |
TouchArcade | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
What the Golf received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[8][9] Sergio Velasquez of TouchArcade praised the element of surprise the game presented.[11] Jordan Devore of Destructoid appreciated the game's comedic value.[12] Christopher Livingston, writing for PC Gamer, while also praising the comedy, enjoyed both the soundtrack and the challenge each level brought.[13] However, James O'Connor of GameSpot did not enjoy the differences between the Windows and Apple editions.[14]
Awards[]
Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | SXSW Gaming Awards 2019 | Gamer's Voice: Video Game | Nominated | [15] |
Independent Games Festival Awards 2019 | Excellence in Design | Nominated | [16] | |
Golden Joystick Award | Best Mobile Game | Nominated | ||
The Game Awards 2019 | Best Mobile Game | Nominated | [17] | |
2020 | 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game | Nominated | [18] |
Portable Game of the Year | Nominated | |||
Game Developers Choice Awards | Best Mobile Game | Won | [19] | |
16th British Academy Games Awards | EE Mobile Game of the Year | Nominated | [20] | |
2020 Webby Awards | Best Game Design | Nominated | [21] | |
Best User Experience | Nominated |
References[]
- ^ Frushtick, Russ (17 September 2019). "Here's the full list of games coming to Apple Arcade on launch day". Polygon. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- ^ Alvarez, Edgar (22 March 2018). "'What The Golf?' is the perfect game for people who don't care about golf". Engadget. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Harris, John. "What the Golf? is going on in this Q&A". www.gamasutra.com. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- ^ "What the Golf? - The golf game for people who hate golf". Epic Games Store. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- ^ "If Utterly Bonkers Multiplayer Games Are Your Jam, Check Out What The Golf? On Switch". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ "WHAT THE GOLF? (Nintendo Switch Physical Edition)". iam8bit. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- ^ "WHAT THE GOLF? on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- ^ a b "WHAT THE GOLF? for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ a b "WHAT THE GOLF? for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- ^ "WHAT THE GOLF? for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- ^ a b Velasquez, Sergio (25 September 2019). "Apple Arcade: 'What The Golf?' Review – The Best Golf Game not related to Golf". TouchArcade. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Devore, Jordan (21 September 2019). "Review: What the Golf?". Destructoid. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Livingston, Christopher (2 October 2019). "What the Golf? review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ O'Connor, James (9 October 2019). "What The Golf Review - Swing And A Hit". GameSpot. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Trent, Logan (29 January 2019). "Announcing the 2019 SXSW Gamer's Voice Award Nominees!". South by Southwest. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ Fogel, Stephanie (3 January 2019). "'Return of the Obra Dinn' Leads IGF Awards Nominees". Variety. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (13 December 2019). "All Winners From The Game Awards 2019". GameSpot. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ Chalk, Andy (13 January 2020). "Control and Death Stranding get 8 nominations each for the 2020 DICE Awards". PC Gamer. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (18 March 2020). "Untitled Goose Game Wins Another Game Of The Year Award". GameSpot. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ^ Stuart, Keith (3 March 2020). "Death Stranding and Control dominate Bafta games awards nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ "Webby Awards: Games". The Webby Awards. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
External links[]
- 2019 video games
- Golf video games
- Video games developed in Denmark
- Windows games
- Nintendo Switch games
- Apple Arcade games
- IOS games
- Single-player video games