Incredibly, this seems to fly under the radar quite a bit, but it may be a hidden gem of a game. That all depends on the kind of person you are.
You see, I like golf. Ironically, I've never actually played the sport, but I know of some well-known golfers, as well as the terminology and some of the history, and I have played some mini-golf in times past. I'm also into physics-type games, which is good because knowing some basic physics is an essential skill for this particular game.
Dungeon Golf takes on an eccentric cast of characters, each with two power-ups, in a series of monster-riddled mini-golf courses. As is typical of golf-type games, your ultimate goal is to get the lowest score possible, but it's not just about how many times you hit the ball. By putting your ball directly in the path of monsters, it defeats them and removes a stroke for each monster defeated, thus even with many hits to the ball, you can still get a hole-in-one, or in some cases, a hole-in-none!
You can collect mana, which appear as purple glowing orbs, in order to charge up one or both of your power-ups, which can also affect the outcome of the game. Some advance your ball closer to the hole without costing a stroke, some attack monsters automatically, some enhance your power or precision, and some can even give other players stroke penalties and cripple their game! You can also be sponsored by someone, which can give you a specific power-up that is used for the entire game.
This game is mostly relaxing, although it can get a little frustrating, but that's because my timing can be off. I keep hitting obstacles that constantly move (like saw blades and swinging axes), and sometimes my shot is not as well calculated as I might've hoped. Because of my inept physics skills, I can replay this over and over without getting too bored, but considering that there has been no DLC and pretty much [i]nobody[/i] plays online, I can see where replayability can be hampered over time as one gets better at the game, memorizing courses and honing their skills.
While I appreciate playing as one of the odd characters, like the frog and skeleton, ironically my favorite one to play as is the only normal human in this game, Sandy Bunker, mainly because her power-ups seem the most logical to me. You have one for better precision, and then another which advances you without a stroke while defeating nearby enemies. Plus, she's got a green outfit that looks absolutely darling! 🥰
There's various customizations that make this game enjoyable, especially in Free Play mode, my favorite mode thus so far. You can play with CPUs, or play alone. Give yourself power-ups, or don't. Make the courses completely filled with stuff, or make it more "normal" where monsters and mana aren't used. It's very well thought out, and I appreciate the indie studio for thinking these things through.
Overall, a very solid mini-golf game. I definitely would recommend this, if you like golf, too! 👍🏻
