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What the Golf?

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WHAT THE GOLF?
Developer(s)Triband
Publisher(s)Triband
Team17 USA (Apple Arcade)
Composer(s)Sune Køter Kølster
EngineUnity
Platform(s)iOS, macOS, tvOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, visionOS, Windows
Release
  • iOS, macOS, tvOS
  • 19 September 2019
  • Windows
  • 1 October 2019
  • Nintendo Switch
  • 21 May 2020
  • visionOS
  • 2 February 2024
  • PS4, PS5
  • 14 March 2024
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player

What the Golf? (stylized as WHAT THE GOLF?) is a sports video game developed by Triband. It was originally released for iOS, macOS and tvOS through Apple Arcade by The Label on 19 September 2019, with a visionOS version also released on the service in 2024 by Team17 USA, The Label's successor.[1] Ports for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were released by Triband, respectively in 2019, 2020 and 2024.[2][3]

Gameplay

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A level in which the golf ball is replaced by a couch.

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

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What the Golf? was crowdfunded through American crowdfunding website Fig.[4] The developers chose golf as the sport to parody, 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.[5] FoxNext funded the game's development.[6]

Release

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What the Golf? released on 19 September 2019 for iOS, macOS and tvOS on Apple Arcade by The Label. A macOS version separate from Apple Arcade and a Windows port launched through the Epic Games Store on 1 October 2019.[7] A Nintendo Switch port was released on 21 May 2020.[8] A physical Nintendo Switch release was sold through Iam8bit alongside a vinyl soundtrack.[9] A Steam version was released on 22 October 2020.[10] A version for visionOS with mixed reality features became available through Apple Arcade with the release of the Apple Vision Pro headset on February 2, 2024.[11] Versions for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were released on 14 March 2024.[12]

Reception

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What the Golf? received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[13][14] Sergio Velasquez of TouchArcade praised the element of surprise the game presented.[16] Jordan Devore of Destructoid appreciated the game's comedic value.[17] Christopher Livingston, writing for PC Gamer, while also praising the comedy, enjoyed both the soundtrack and the challenge each level brought.[18] However, James O'Connor of GameSpot did not enjoy the differences between the Windows and Apple editions.[19]

Awards

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Year Award Category Result Ref
2019 SXSW Gaming Awards 2019 Gamer's Voice: Video Game Nominated [20]
Independent Games Festival Awards 2019 Excellence in Design Nominated [21]
The Game Awards 2019 Best Mobile Game Nominated [22]
2020 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game Nominated [23]
Portable Game of the Year Nominated
Game Developers Choice Awards Best Mobile Game Won [24]
16th British Academy Games Awards EE Mobile Game of the Year Nominated [25]
2020 Webby Awards Best Game Design Nominated [26]
Best User Experience Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Frushtick, Russ (17 September 2019). "Here's the full list of games coming to Apple Arcade on launch day". Polygon. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  2. ^ "'What the Golf' is coming to the Nintendo Switch on May 21st". Engadget. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  3. ^ Ivan, Tom (12 February 2024). "Indie hit What the Golf? is coming to PlayStation". VGC. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  4. ^ Alvarez, Edgar (22 March 2018). "'What The Golf?' is the perfect game for people who don't care about golf". Engadget. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  5. ^ Harris, John (November 2019). "What the Golf? is going on in this Q&A". www.gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  6. ^ Forde, Matthew (22 March 2019). "GDC 2019: FoxNext Games picks up Big Indie Pitch winner What The Golf?". Pocket Gamer.
  7. ^ "What the Golf? - The golf game for people who hate golf". Epic Games Store. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  8. ^ "If Utterly Bonkers Multiplayer Games Are Your Jam, Check Out What The Golf? On Switch". Nintendo Life. 12 May 2020. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  9. ^ "WHAT THE GOLF? (Nintendo Switch Physical Edition)". iam8bit. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  10. ^ "WHAT THE GOLF? on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  11. ^ "Apple announces more than 600 new apps built for Apple Vision Pro". Apple Inc. 1 February 2024.
  12. ^ Nightingale, Ed (13 February 2024). "What The Golf? heading to PlayStation next month". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  13. ^ a b "WHAT THE GOLF? for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  14. ^ a b "WHAT THE GOLF? for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  15. ^ "WHAT THE GOLF? for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  16. ^ a b Velasquez, Sergio (25 September 2019). "Apple Arcade: 'What The Golf?' Review – The Best Golf Game not related to Golf". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  17. ^ Devore, Jordan (21 September 2019). "Review: What the Golf?". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  18. ^ Livingston, Christopher (2 October 2019). "What the Golf? review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  19. ^ O'Connor, James (9 October 2019). "What The Golf Review - Swing And A Hit". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ Fogel, Stephanie (3 January 2019). "'Return of the Obra Dinn' Leads IGF Awards Nominees". Variety. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  22. ^ Makuch, Eddie (13 December 2019). "All Winners From The Game Awards 2019". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  23. ^ Chalk, Andy (13 January 2020). "Control and Death Stranding get 8 nominations each for the 2020 DICE Awards". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  24. ^ Makuch, Eddie (18 March 2020). "Untitled Goose Game Wins Another Game Of The Year Award". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  25. ^ Stuart, Keith (3 March 2020). "Death Stranding and Control dominate Bafta games awards nominations". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  26. ^ "Webby Awards: Games". The Webby Awards. 19 May 2020. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
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