Cursed to Golf

Fantastic game. This game is a breath of fresh air in today's FPS-filled gaming-space. It takes the beloved dungeon crawler style approach but adds golfing into the mix. Combining to seemingly ill-fit themes but somehow managing to pull it off with ease. For the cheap price this game comes at you will get hours of fun, even if dungeon crawlers or golf games isn't for you. Also no annoying micro-transactions or other leechy aspects.

I really wanted to like this game. The gameplay is petty straight forward and totally itches the scratch of "jump in and play a few holes".

Unfortunately, I feel like this is mostly a missed opportunity. It's missing key roguelike elements like the ability to add skills to your bag or any type of skill tree or character points. The only way to win is to get good and, many times, lucky. Your deaths are meaningless because you're never building towards anything. Not a stronger shot, or spin, or different clubs, or the ability to see more map, etc.

There are so many ways to enhance the gameplay and depth of the game that it feels a bit unfinished in its current state.

It's really a shame. I love the art style and the controls/feel of the game. It's just a little too shallow for me, especially at this price point.

What a nice little take on the genre. The golfing aspects introduced are novel and manage to stay relatively nice all the time while playing. I think the best aspect of this game is its soundtrack, goodness is that some good gRave. I'm a little bummed by the fact that they made the game a little easier with the updates, I mean the camera being that zoomed in was the whole point! Or maybe it wasn't, what do I know? I just thought it was a good challenge without being able to pan the camera out and see more of the course at once when taking a swing. Otherwise the challenge isn't too difficult nor too easy. There are definitely some things which could be improved probably, but overall it's a pretty good game and you should probably buy it!

I'm so bad at this game but I can't stop thinking about it. The design is engaging and challenging while the art and music keep me engaged with the moment-to-moment gameplay. I really want to get good at this game one day and until then, I'll just keep trying!

I recommend it on novelty alone.
Its cute and interesting, but very quickly becomes apparent that they have somehow removed all the fun aspects of golfing. Everything you need to do is precision, the majority of wacky hazards are simply "ball explodes, -1 penalty"
Whats more frustrating is the actual decision to make the last levels not just unfun, but just... a slog. A slow, frustrating slog that feels less like I'm playing a golf game and more like I'm playing "i wanna be the guy" or some other troll game.
I understand hazards adding another -1 or such to your score, thats fine, but why on earth did they think it was ok for there to be hazards that not only made you retake the shot and lose another stroke, but ALSO set you back 2-3 shots, stripping you of progress completely. I got real tired of it around the final zone of hole 17, where a missed bouncer moved me back FOUR shots - i just closed out the game. I still had plenty of +6 and +3 cards, but when holes can easily take 20+ shots to complete (it took me like 35 on hole 16), this is just... a mean grind. I have no interest in playing more.

I still recommend it for the novelty of it, but it is NOT a fun golf game.

EDIT: The dev fixed almost everything. Kudos!

Awesome idea, god-awful execution.

Everything takes a million years, even while you're holding the fast-forward button. The beginning of a hole shows you the obstacles and sometimes pressing A won't skip it? So you can genuinely be stuck holding the fast-forward button for like... 10 full seconds at the start of every level.

There are obstacles that shoot you on a pre-determined path, but you can only know WHAT path once you activate them, leading to unfair moments like being spat STRAIGHT into water and losing an additional shot.

The boss fights are non-sensical, everyone talks for a thousand years to tell you a basic gameplay function, and it's just very... Clumsy.

It's a shame, because rogue-like mini-golf is a really neat idea. I hope someone copies it, frankly!

I didn't play this game terribly long and I was pretty excited to play it. The game is kind of slow to start and the biggest frustration I find is that you can't truly look through the course you're golfing on. You can only see a little ahead and then you just have to hope for the best with your swing. I also thought there would be some fun twists in the game mechanics but with how far I got, there really wasn't any. You also get money for clearing courses but I never was shown by the game how or where to spend money which I found confusing. Ultimately, I don't think this is the game for me to lose some hours on.

This has got to be one of the best games I've played in a long time! I've always loved golf in real life, and this game takes the aspect of golf and turns it into a strategy, puzzle adventure. It was certainly frustrating when I played a given hole/area for the first time, but when I played it a few times, I got used to it and the challenge became fun. Yes, it is annoying having to go back to the start if I run out of strokes, but after beating each boss and getting their reward, it makes getting back to where I lost easier and more rewarding.

The story, world, and characters are fun and creative, taking aspects of actual golf and molding them into fantasy elements. Like the villain being called The Greenskeeper (not a spoiler as he is introduced right away) was clever as Greenskeepers in real golf are often overlooked and can be annoying when they change the pin's location on the green.

Only minor, technical complaint is you use a driver on the fairway, which you should never use a driver except on the tee itself (yes, you can use it on fairways, but it is highly frowned upon as it could break the driver's head as it is the most fragile club). Again, this is very technical and nitpicky and doesn't change my opinion on the game at all.

Spend my resources to get past the hazards into the shortcut pipe on the boss level, and the pipe just immediately sucks my ball back in on the other side to spit it out back at the beginning into the hazard. It's a shame, because I was really enjoying the core game-play up to that point. For a game like this to work you need to be able to plan your progression through the level, but the game hides a lot of those critical elements from you by not showing you where pipes and teleporters connect to without you first going through them. Some are actively bad to go through even when they are working correctly.

This game has so much potential, but at the end of the day it heaps too much on you and isn't that fun.

I really love the core mechanics of using cards and golfing to traverse the levels.

What brings the game down is a ton of quality of life issues:

1. After i hit the ball, I have to wait for the same stupid animation over and over again. This is my number one issue. It takes forever.

2. The default perspective is way too close. I have to re-unzoom at the start of every level.

3. The boss levels are THE WORST. Watching the boss have to swing his club and wait for that whole thing to happen brings the game to a screeching halt.

4. No warp to later levels is pretty brutal. The first zone takes a long time to get through.

5. Remembering how the cards work and how to activate them causes me a lot of mistakes that feel cheap.

6. There isn't quite enough variety in the core game look to keep me hooked.

7. The golf cart is cute, but at the end of the day feels like another slow 'watch this animation!' cut scene. Speed it up!

Overall I was really digging the game. I could totally see some additional support bringing this game back into positive territory because it is so close to a great game.

This game is so fun and addicting. It's one of a kind! For people that say it is slow, that is bs. You can fast forward through all the pre-shot animations. I'll admit, the tutorial made it seem like it would be slow, but once you get going, it's thoroughly engaging. The bosses are cool and the progression is satisfying. Looking forward to whatever they come up with next!

Score w/o Context: 8.5/10 Strokes

The Context:

I'm no good at golf. I'm not sure why golf games have such a hold over me then, when actually playing it makes me frustrated and tired. Is it wish fulfillment? An ability to excel at something I otherwise flail at like I have hot dogs for fingers? A fantasy of extending my mini-golf prowess to greater heights? I'm not sure myself....what was I saying? Oh, right. Cursed to Golf is another good golf game to add to the list.

The stinger for Cursed is that it's not a 3D or top down golf sim, but a 2D side scroller roguelike. Gone are the days of 3,4 and 5 par, and all that's left is surviving 18 holes without running out of strokes and being sent back to the start of the course. Sure you might start with 5 strokes, but statues along each course allow for extras to be added. Or, you'll run into a zombie and lose 1. Along the way you are gifted 1-time use power cards usable at any time to help you navigate the sometimes labyrinthian greens, which you'll have to decide if and when they're necessary. These provide the core of the experience, from basic time slowdown to ice and rocket balls. There's always a use for them, thanks to the randomized courses.

Each hole is created from a collection of segments smushed together, meaning each run will feel different, and optimization is impossible. Sure, there are a couple permanent powers you can receive that make the full 18 more doable, but for the vast majority you're left to your own devices. Essentially the value you can take out of this is however interested you are in solving these par puzzles. I didn't think the game itself overstayed its welcome, but it also didn't provide much in the way of replayability, which is a shame. When I was knee deep in the game, it provided a compelling tug of war between saving my powers and attempting a risky shot, or using my cards and facing the unknown future with less in my inventory. I just wish there was more of it.

I don't think I've ever written a steam review before, but this game deserves it so much.
This game is an absolute masterpiece. Mixing a rogue-like with 2D golf makes this completely unique.

It starts off as a simple 2D golf game until later holes are reached where the focus shifts almost completely to foresight and strategy.
Throughout the holes you gain cards in a variety of different ways, each with a unique helpful perk. Knowing which card to use when becomes almost inevitable and at the same time the more you play the more you start having preferences for certain cards which will ultimately define your style of play. And the game rewards this creativity.

The story is pretty simple and straight forward yet engaging. The dialogues and little sounds really set the tone for the game's atmosphere and character development throughout, which to me is just the right amount for a game of the genre.

It's easy-going compared to other rogue-likes, but on certain moments it becomes an absolute nail-biter and this balance to me was something really enjoyable. Considering a full campaign can take along the lines of 6 hours of play, the game isn't meant to be played in one sitting and that's also very appealing if you're looking for a casual game that you can play for however long or little you want on any given day.

I wish I could nitpick something bad about the game, but I honestly can't. I read many steam reviews prior to buying it that said that the game was very hard for beginners. I managed to finish it on my second ever run so if anything I would argue the opposite. The game gets progressively harder for sure, but it levels out with the correct usage of the perks you're given throughout the campaign. I can't stress this enough - there is a HUGE emphasis on strategy at the later holes and you WILL feel this. It becomes SO much more interesting. You'll find yourself scanning the entire hole for almost longer times than you will be taking shots.

If I had to mention ONE thing it would be the repeatability. Once you've finished the game there isn't much more to do besides repeating everything all over again with minor changes. I understand that's the whole idea behind rogue-likes and the game does randomise the holes, but adding additional characters, more paths, more hole environments, maybe a co-op even? Still for the price the game is currently priced at, even if you only finish it once and never again, it's more than worth it.

Graphics are top notch. The game controls are fantastic. Shooting, perks, ball spin, I never had a moment where I felt like the game BSd me. If I f'd up, it was my fault. The different paths to take available on the levels also have a perfect balance between risk and reward.

For me personally, as a lover of goofy golf games like Everybody's Golf, this was an absolute masterpiece. Bravo to everyone involved that made this.

Good concept bad execution
The difficulty (which doesn't have any adjustments) is predicated on you using extra shot cards.
But those cards are random so sometimes you'll get a course that is not possible to complete even with perfect or near perfect play.

This game is absolutely worth it for the sound track alone in my opinion. I often hear incredible video game music and think, "this is so good, but man I could really evolve the percussion if I had a chance."

The drumming in these songs is likely the best I've ever heard in video game music. Listen to, "A For-tuitous Meeting" with a good pair of headphones. Sure, the call and answer of the drums could be extended to focus on four to eight bars instead of two. The hi-hat, kick, and snare could be really mind blowing if they had additional left / right panning, but I've never heard any music that's done that so far... Except for my own ;)

The melody takes it to the next level through stereo panning while the drums compliment every aspect of the timing. There is clearly a strong 'Rush' influence in this music, and it's pulled of incredibly well.

The game is pretty great too. Most people will probably lose interest after a round or two. For those who stick with it, this game is rewarding. Improving your skill and ability to make difficult choices is the biggest permanent upgrade you'll get. The secret to making permanent progress is that you can actually save the best cards you obtain by accessing the 'Eterni-tee' shop.

It would be nice if you could get a full overview / map of the course at the beginning of each area, and didn't have to fast forward through each highlight of the key points each time.

Update: As I was writing this review, I had the opportunity to listen to the entire soundtrack of this game. While the rest of the soundtrack is pretty good, none of the other songs come close to the masterpiece known as, "A For-tuitous Meeting." So, unless this game appeals to you, I recommending skipping at, and just listening to that incredible song with quality headphones.

Really fun game! My main quibble is not being able to see where you're hitting the ball when you're lining up your shot. I'd like the ability to either zoom our or scroll a bit more to see where my drive or iron shot is going to land at least. My other issue is I feel like the game is a little content light at the moment. In roguelike games I like a reason to replay it, whether that's unlocking higher difficulty levels, unlocking new skins or anything like that.

I feel like relatively small additions such as an ascension mode which adds extra modifiers, extra modifiers in general, daily challenges (beat X hole and you start with X cards), the ability to practice individual holes and go for a high score could go a long way toward enhancing the replay-ability which is so crucial to making the best roguelike games so great.

As is, I beat the game on my second run and I probably won't play much more in the near future, but I look forward to potential updates down the line and definitely still recommend the game as is!

I REALLY wanted to like this game, and there really is a lot to like about it. My biggest gripe with Cursed to Golf is the pacing of the game. I found that there was a tremendous amount of downtime, waiting for animations, driving from hole to hole, etc. that made things far less fun for me. Because I felt like a lot of time was just spent "waiting", the game felt less responsive and more boring, so ultimately I'm recommending against it as this somewhat ruined the experience for me.

I absolutely love this game. I've played many roguelikes, and many with crazy concepts, but this is probably the most unique one by far, and that's a super good thing.
Everything in the game from the witty dialogue, to the stunning soundtrack, and especially the UI just oozes with passion and charm. With every second I play this game, I appreciate more and more the amount of love and care the creators put into making something they really loved. Things like the cute remixes of the main character's themes in the shop, and the diagonal slants on the camera angles after finishing a hole, and especially the character animations make everything so much fun, despite being in purgatory lol.
The gameplay itself is surprisingly difficult at first, but it quickly grew on me, as I started making it further and further into each run. With the permanent upgrades you unlock after each boss, the game went from living off of Par Cards in order to have a chance at winning to being able to beat most holes while being able to rely only on shot idols.
As for problems, I only really have one active issue with the game, and a few suggestions
-As of right now, the game can be incredibly buggy at times, resulting in sometimes having to take shots underwater, spawning in walls, or having the game just softlock altogether during bossfights (along with minor visual glitches, like edges of text looping back around the the other edge of the image.. The first two can be negated using the Mulligan ace card, but the softlocks can be pretty annoying. To be fair though, as of writing, the game literally only came out 4 days ago, so I can't really complain that much, and I never really feel frustrated if I get a softlock or glitch, I can get by with just thinking "oop, that's not supposed to happen."
-the map can sometimes feel a bit empty, I think the game could definetely use some more map events, such as a trading kind of thing, or maybe some temporary upgrades that only last for that run.
-I think it'd be cool if upon landing the golf ball in the hole there was a bit more flair, since right now there's the polite applause and that's pretty much it
Overall though, other than the bugs and small nitpicks, the game overall is an absolute BLAST to play. It's a really fun roguelike, a fun amount of difficulty, and has charm and passion at every corner. Amazing game!

Really great mix of roguelike, deckbuilding and golf. Becomes more of an almost puzzle-like game trying to figure out the best combination of routes and cards to use. The runs/holes can go long and coupled with the difficulty it might not be for everybody (myself included, potentially) but for now I am still enjoying it! The boss fights are quite unique too. High polish on the visuals, music and presentation - though there are a few UI nitpicks you might run into. Definitely recommend it if it seems like something that would be up your alley!

Really fun and cute game. It's a rogue-lite golf game. If you like golf and are a fan of rogue-lite elements (permadeath, random elements, very little hand-holding), then you'll like this game.

The game is great and charming. However, you have to beat the entire game in one go without checkpoints or saves. Each time you fail... it's back to the start.

I updated the review back to positive. I did this because overall the game is great, I think a negative review was too harsh for a single negative aspect. The art and music are perfect and the game is smooth as can be. It's also in a genre all it's own.

Its an interesting idea however done poorly.

Providing additional feedback for Dev :)

Im gonna start with the worst thing in the game, the camera system. The camera being this zoomed in makes the game feel claustrophobic, and spending time in the free cam trying to figure out the routes around the level, as well as the teleporter layout bloats the gameplay loop. If the teleporters had some indicator of their exit that would be nice. Being able to 'nudge' the camera is great, however it being bound to the same buttons as controlling looking left and right is awful and makes certain shots more annoying than needed (i.e bank shots off a wall). I don't think that blind shots, especially with the margins you have in holes 15-18 are fun.

The hitboxes for hazards are very finnicky, and honestly, the fact that touching the slight base bit of the land next to a spike kills you hurts when you are trying to land precise shots.

I have fallen through terrain, especially near the edges of ledges and ended up in unwinnable positions. The arrow on bounce-pad aiming is also significantly off from my mouse, making aiming less natural than it should be.

And really, the par system amplifies these shortcomings. Janky hitboxes and terrain collision hurt when you lose an hour of watching animations to it.

Not gonna lie, if the game just let you flounder and get as many shots as you need to beat the holes, and just didn't give you the 'good ending' if you were above par I would enjoy the time more. There are interesting maps later on, but why would I try to do the hard shots when I could loop a few times and stack up ace cards to just brute force it. This is obviously just what I would do, shifting more towards score attack and optimization than ending runs because you fell through a ledge into a zombie pit.

Also having the exit to the shop be on the left when all other forward navigation is to the right is annoying.

Also keys should be able to be rebound.

TL:DR It feels like a 2010 mobile game port and has the same issues as most of them. It's very pretty though and has some bangin music.

Pretty neat game that does have some drawbacks that will probably not make it entirely replayable, like a game of Everybody's Golf. But a lot of the complaints in reviews are just outright stupid, largely put forth by simpletons. The camera? without its limitations the game would be ridiculously easy, more than it already is. Being able to see exactly where the ball is gonna land at mid range, but having to calculate it at long range was the only trade-off that makes sense for a 2D golf game.

The complaints of difficulty and punishment? Honestly, the game is just pretty easy. If you can't beat the game within 10 rounds you aren't using the cards right and taking advantage of shortcuts put there for a reason.

Literally my only complaint with the game is its length does tend to hinder the thought of replaying it. The game sorely needed a separate mode outside the Roguelike setting.

I love this game. The rogue like elements are a little much for me and the game can be frustrating at times but overall i cant stop playing it.

Great game.
Great artstyle, music, gameplay. Replayability could be improved though.
7.5/10 would recommend

Not sure what the negative reviews are all about.
Game describes itself as a roguelike golf game with an afterlife spin- That is exactly what I got.

10/10. This game is amazingly fun! I do feel like the price tag is a bit high for what it is but the experience is polished enough to justify it for me personally.

gameplay is interesting, but I felt very annoyed by the unnecessary delays and required inputs between holes contributing to many ragequiting moments.

I believe puzzles should be about challenge instead of punishment, and even in the initial levels, mistakes punish you, a lot.

Also, it would be a bit better if the camera could stretch a little bit more, to be able to see the full driver club path.

If you like hard games, you may like it, but it was not my case. I prefer games to relax and have a good time, which unfortunately I didn't have in Cursed to Golf

Game is average at best, they wanted a dark souls style of golf game but I never once felt like I truly deserved the round loss. It got to where I just force closed the game if I was going to lose the hole or fight. Each loss was always due to some cheese, prime example is the first boss teleported through a wall and beat me to the hole. speaking of the holes they are long and drawn out with confusing layouts, some having 2 finishing holes, some only have 1. The game does a horrible job at explaining mechanics like spin until after you have a round loss under your belt, or that you can blow up TNT with a standard ball hit instead of having to use the ace card. This game could have easily been super good but its by far to annoying and not worth my time to grind to form a strategy as with each round loss the holes will shift and change to completely new holes, have fun speed runners! Maybe I will come back when some updates get released but until then i do not recommend getting this game.

Interesting concept. The premise of the game is trying to escape golfing hell. To do this you must complete 18 holes while getting a par in every hole. There are ways to help you achieve that such as giving you extra shots and cards that have varies effects such as stopping time or changing the direction of the ball in mid-air. I've only played a couple hours, and only made it to the second area, so I'm sure there is more to unlock, but that's the general idea.

Win holes to get more cards at the shops that appear ever so often to help in your current round. There are tougher cursed holes and boss holes to provide extra challenge and usually come as a trade off for some extra cards or cash. Overall its pretty simple with not a lot (if any) meta progression which I would really like in these kinds of games because frankly I lack the skill to not have some sort of system making me better.

I don't know how much of this game I'll play, but I say its worth giving it a shot and its a game I'm sure I'll come visit every now and then

Everything takes too long. Gameplay, transitions, even progressing in the map. The tutorial too, but it needed to be longer to tell you all the aspects of gameplay, there is no reason that the player needs to lose to be told how to spin. Everything about the loop of the game feels padded and plays against the reason most people find Golf video games fun. Can be fun at times but my losses have felt undeserved squashing any fun I was having. I have had two runs die due to a boss suddenly making up 400 yds in a single swing that would take the player 5 swings during normal gameplay. My suggestion would be to segment the game and runs by boss rather then having the player restart at hole 1. Either that or rework level generation to not take 11 shots on average. As it stands now, not worth the money.

Damn, this is a gud game. Golf, rougelike. ONLY complaint is when you die, you get sent back to the beginning (duh ROUGELIKE) but a run can last roughly 4-5 hours. Take breaks and you'll get through golf purgatory. I'm 6hrs deep and I've only done 2 runs so far.
The powerups are really fun and not "necessary" to complete a course but offer an alternative path which can lead to tricky shots/unfavorable positions if not careful.
The bosses are cute and have fun mechanics that haven't been a real issue so far.
All in all, an enjoyable golf game

I love the style of the game, the music, graphics and you can feel that the developer put a lot of heart in this.

Still, I cannot recommend it, because the game loop itself is just to repetitive and lacks any nuance.
One cannot even give the ball a spin to do cool trick shots. Instead of skill based the game is just a casual game with some cards special effects. Not my cup of tea.

I want to recommend this game but I just can't. I was excited for it to come out because I thought it would play like a golf game. It does not scratch that itch. It plays like a turned based precision platformer that is golf themed. Art is neat, music is great but I found the rogue-like elements to be grating. The game counts your shots down and when it reaches zero your run ends. It's not really about getting to lowest score like traditional golf, it's about surviving the course. There's a lot of potential here but I have not found the fun after about 90 minutes of playing and I'm not motivated to continue trying.

Fun game, great music. It's not a true roguelike, but it has some roguelike properties. The game is challenging but not hard enough to where I feel like people shouldn't buy this game it's not even close to things like jump king or golfing over it. The challenge feels fair and it gets easier the more you learn about the game and the more things you unlock. The tutorials are long but they're not too bad if you want to fast forward through them. The main thing about this game now that is holding it's back is bugs. No versus mode or multiplayer or new game +. But I really enjoy the game I've enjoyed this game a lot more than many other games I have played. Game needs more polish and content but it doesn't feel lacking to me because it's still a complete experience.

An innovative golf roguelite with suprisingly great storyline and characters AND absolute banger soundtracks.

The rules are not exactly the same with real golf, but it definitely allows some interesting gameplay mechanics and cool twists for the story. I've seen some golf puritans leaving bad reviews because of this, but don't let that discourage you from trying this out and having some fun!

Could be a fun game if they fix the annoyances I had with it.

Here's my list of improvements:
1: Each club should have it's own zoom. Not being able to see where my drive would land was incredibly frustrating. Never felt like skill if I landed the ball outside of my visible range, it just felt like gambling.
2. The levels are WAY WAY too long. Especially in the last couple stages. Some levels took me 30 strokes which was a real trudge. A round of golf should never take more than 30-40 mins. My first run through the game took me almost 3 hours.
3. Organize the ace cards or show all the ones we have and let us pick one. Really annoying to spin through the list and try to find the one you want.
4. Some of the ace cards feel sloppy. If I use the rocket, it would be nice to know how long I have to use it. Same goes for the phase card and drill card. I would have saved so many strokes just knowing to not try to go over a little gap because I was running out of fuel on my rocket.
5. Some way to know where teleporters go. Like an ace card or something would be fine.

I really want to like this game. It is good, and I like the idea, but the execution is frustrating. My number one issue is that camera is zoomed too far in. I cannot tell where my ball will land. This leads to the majority of my shots being nothing more than an educated guess and a stroke of luck. It is charming and the demo is worth playing, but the execution of hitting the ball (the number one thing in a golf game) is too frustrating at this point. I hope this is fixed, whether in this game or the sequel.

An excellent game, little expensive for what it is, but this game will give you hours of fun I'm sure. It reminds me somewhat of old flash games of an ilk, but with much much better presentation.

After just under 2 hours of play I can see this as a major contender for goty. Good lord did Nintendo's A-Team make this game? Seriously it's that good after 2 hours of play. It might be a roguelite but there is NOTHING out there quite like it. Brilliant!! Just a final note, its perfect on the deck, the controls are spot on, and it runs perfectly at the lowest power settings. In Love...

I am pissed.

This game is amazing, I love golf and I love roguelikes, it was a no-brainer purchase.

The gameplay is fun and engaging, although the powerup cards are a bit broken late-game.

Also, the runs are looooong. I was 8h into my last run, golfing like never before, on the boss of the caves (hole 15). Then a bug with a power up card scattershot killed me while I still had 5 shots left.

What a sour taste, getting so far, investing quite a lot of time into a run, to have it die because of a bug. Just awful.

It is however a very good game, and fun gameplay. If you can get over the ffrustration of having bugs like this, it's worth it.

Amazingly Fun!! Got little too easy after zoom out feature in recent patch but it has been great challenge!
Very difficult that tests your patience and creativity! Course design was amazing, cant wait for sequel and multiplayer mode if they ever release it.

I bought this game initially only because of the fact that Mark Sparling composed most of the music. I did not enjoy this game though, sadly. I don't think there's anything wrong with the game, but it just didn't click with me.

For me currently this is a refund. I love golf games and I love roguelikes, but this is too slow paced for me. Shame. I might try it again in a year or so.

The interesting platforming golf game mechanic is fun. Playing with the different cards brings a risk and strategy to the game that makes obstacles fun to get around. The only thing the game needs is a 2 player option.

A fun "golflite", love the mix of roguelite with golf, that being said I can't recommend people to buy this for a simple and frustating reason: The game is A BUG RIDDEN MESS.

Even with the developer best efforts, they fix 1 bug and bring 4 new.

Refrain from buying till the developer can get a grip and release something more stable.

This game is soooo much fun! Truly an incredible creation! Looks great, banging soundtrack, so many awesome skills you can use for sick trick-shots that feel super satisfying when you pull them off! Perfect level of difficulty!

Definitely the HOTTEST of HOT recommends for this one! And I don't really even like golf all that much! XD

GET IT! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

P.S. I didn't really experience any bugs or glitches minus a minor camera bug but the devs have been quick to patch them up and are constantly looking for ways to improve the overall experience of the game so hats off to them!

DLC plz!!!

Lovely game.
In macroscopic view, you have to plan out which route you will be taking throughout the stage, considering the stage layout and ace cards you have. In microscopic view, you have to carefully make your shots to carry out the plan you had intended. Having both strategical aspect and tactical aspect, it really engages the player.

It might not be for everyone since It is quite challenging, but not in a way that frustrates the player, so I believe it can be fun to many people.

Love from Sam

Satisfying golf game. First round or two is very difficult, as the game doesn't give you some vital tools like Spin until you have failed a round, making the game seem much harder than it really is, but once you get the hang of it you quickly start making it much further into the course.

Once you have mastered the simple swing mechanics, you can approach each shot like a little puzzle to solve and it becomes very satisfying hitting difficult shots and mastering the different powerful ace cards.

I'm usually a fan of golf games but I was always iffy on roguelikes so I wasn't sure how this was going to work for me but I think it's the perfect introduction to the genre for me. It's a challenging game to start but the learning curve is manageable. Getting to the first boss is tough but then the cadence of the game is picked up and the runs get noticeably easier (not to mention the confidence boost). The Ace Cards are nice to have for finding new ways to progress through the courses and there's enough variety in the levels that I don't feel like I'm playing the same thing over and over. The golf physics feels fair and I can chalk up a lot of my misplays to preparing poorly or thinking I can risk the shot and then fail. I love golf and I love the twist that's been added to the usual golf game formula.

The art is amazing and I love the music. The vibe of the game is great with graphics placed perfectly in that artistic pixel style.

I'm stoked that my Steam Deck will be here soon to be able to play this game on and I know it's going to be perfect for it.

Game breaking bugs that are really easy to unintentionally find. but if they get patched and this game gets updates then this looks pretty awesome.

If you don't beat the boss on your first try, the game spits you back to the very first level. You have to grind all the way back again. I force quit the game, and probably will uninstall it.

The mechanics are pretty cool but the holes just aren't creative. They seem to be randomly created, tight fit, and with no real purpose behind each route. Just platform after platform. Its like playing golf inside a tunnel and your ball doesnt really bounce anywhere. Sort of reminds me of ping pong, except instead of a paddle you have clubs.

None of it really meshes together.

I love roguelikes and these style of golf games so I really wanted to like this game but in the end I just couldn't. It isn't difficult as much as it is clumsy. They improved some of the most glaring issues (slow down speeds, zoom out to see more of where you are aiming, although still not far enough with bounces) but ultimately the clunky controls do not mesh with the required precision. There are other things I don't love about the game (animations and transitions take FOREVER, courses can be too long, ace cards are difficult to navigate) but ultimately those are just minor annoyances. The controls make the game fundamentally unenjoyable.

Liked the game a lot. I agree with other comments on the camera being the most frustrating aspect (not able to zoom out enough while aiming a shot, etc.) But there were a ton of redeeming factors - the ace cards were fun and there was a good variety; mastering the spin mechanic was super fun and surprisingly intuitive; and the music + visuals are absolutely fantastic. Would recommend for anyone looking to kill 7-8 hours!

Fantastic game load of fun, hope they do more content. i would love to see more than one playable characters maybe with abilities, multiplayer and more of the already good sound track. Already solid game but would definitely have more re-playablity with these bits of additional content.

This game is good at the start but got boring pretty quick since it was repetitive and the songs all sounded similar like it was one song just changed a bit each time it played.

Very much enjoyed it! Lovely gameplay, art and soundtrack. The rouge lite element of it might not be for everyone but i found it pretty neat. The boons might be a little hit or miss depending on preference but i think it adds to the replayability of it. making latter runs a bit more open for experimentation and bumbling around! Hoping for eventual DLC or added features.

Really cool game idea, make it easier and with a better camera next time

(yeah I might've been too harsh)

It's quite easy and enjoyable. I'm able to clear the game in my third try but you can choose to do a harder way and give yourself a challenge by limit yourself from using Cards, for example.

What an absolute BLAST.

Having a lot of fun playing through this! I'm not the greatest, but figuring out the different approaches I can take to each run is super satisfying. The character animations are cute as heck, gameplay is really tight and the music is top-notch.

The developers are also releasing regular updates to combat any issues and make any changes, so that's real nice to see :)

Neat indie game with a cool concept. Souls like difficulty but for golfing!! def worth it for anyone looking for something outside of the box.

NOT TRASH.

In Cursed to Golf, you play as the GGOAT (Greatest Golfer of All Times) or at least you were about to be if it wasn’t for the lightning bolt that struck you on the last hit of the most incredible shot in your career.

In death, you end up in Golf purgatory, but fret not, wee one, for you can escape it by successfully doing the afterlife 18 holes.

Let's connect

Brilliant

In Cursed to Golf, you play as the GGOAT (Greatest Golfer of All Times) or at least you were about to be if it wasn’t for the lightning bolt that struck you on the last hit of the most incredible shot in your career.

In death, you end up in Golf purgatory, but fret not, wee one, for you can escape it by successfully doing the afterlife 18 holes.

Cursed to Golf is a 2D golf roguelike with deckbuilding mechanics, and quite frankly, it’s a strike of genius.

To advance through the different levels of the tournament, you will need to get under par every time, and it’s quite a challenging ordeal. Indeed, not only will you have a minimal number of shots to succeed, but the levels are filled with obstacles and traps. It also keeps changing between tries (or sometimes even during the level itself)!

To help you in your adventure, you will have at your disposal a few different clubs to make your shots: a driver, an iron and a wedge. Each comes with another way of attacking the ball. After deciding on your club, you will need to gauge the power of your shot and confirm it on the power meter, then comes the trickiest of it all: the angle you wish for and this one requires quite the timing. It is also possible to add spin to your ball, which could very well be the deciding factor of your last shot.

Cursed to Golf also includes some subtle but well-made deck-building elements. Cards are available in the game and can be bought in the store (Eterni-tee) or found between levels. To help your shots, you get to draw cards from booster packs that are there to help when you activate them. These will modify how you will shoot the ball or how it’ll act while in the air, and so on.

For instance, you could transform the ball into a mini-rocket, give it the power of the elements or why not just do U-turn mid-air? It is effectively adding different ways and possibilities of completing each level. You can afford these cards by completing levels that will net you some money.

Furthermore, you can also break some silver and gold statues present throughout each level to net you some extra shots and help finish the level.

Not straying away from its core, Cursed to Golf is quite challenging. Should you fail during the course, you will fail and need to restart with nothing. After defeating bosses, you will be granted a few extra perks, such as the capacity to place a checkpoint. The smartest of us will also save cards in a binder to save them for future runs.

Simply put, the only way to progress is for your skills to improve and improve at the game.

Graphically speaking, the game has lovely pixel graphics and a retro ambience that will fill you with nostalgia.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2855064532

Sadly, the boss fights can feel highly unfair and almost frustrating. I saw myself at one shot from winning a boss fight and having a boss extremely far behind me, but that somehow managed to cross a massive chunk of the map in one hit, along with the map conveniently changing form and shape to facilitate the boss’ hit. I couldn’t plan for it, but it’s part of the game. That said, they’re possible to beat; you will need some skill and a good deck of cards! You can also stun them by destroying boss-fight specific statues, but I found these statues to be placed so far away that I would waste too many shots going for those.

That being said, the game was recently patched, and quite a few bugs I experienced are now gone. But not all, sadly. During many runs, I play and lose all my money, achievement completion or even recorded progress, so I have to restart, which is frustrating when you’re far enough.

Verdict

Finally, Cursed to Golf is a highly original take on Roguelikes by using a brilliant idea for a genre that could always use some innovation. But it also has a great ambience, music and charming graphics.

Just wedging my review in here to drive this game's review score up. And not just to iron out my pun skills, but also because it's genuinely really fun.

If you ever got way too into minigolf flash games (RIP Flash), Worms, or simply enjoy the novelty of playing a spot of golf in glorious 2D without having to leave your gaming chair, this game should prove to be worth its price.

Im recommending the game to those that like roguelikes. It has a ton of appeal and For the 8 hours I put in I was having a blast, but I made it fairly close to the end of the game and lost all that progress due to a small mistake. Having to start back at hole 1 was a kick in the nuts after being so close to the end of the game. Again, Had a lot of fun with it, but right now im moving on to something else, Ill be back on a rainy day perhaps.

***EDIT***

I wrote that review last night, I woke up this morning, reinstalled it on my steam deck, and started another play through, I couldn't let it beat me!! I put another 4.5 hours into it but I beat it! Such a charming little game, but wow it can be stressful haha. I loved it!

Thanks to SkillUp and Angry Joe for talking about this game.

Dont be deceived by its cute looks and easy to play mechanics, this game can get really hard at places and yet retain its fun.

Overall it's a fine game. The holes can be fun, but it's a bit long to play through and I feel no incentive to play again after having finally finished 18 holes. The art style is cute, but music is really too much (loud and very repetitive). The concept is fun, but I'm not sure I feel good about the price. The different powerups you get are fun, but the holes feel pretty repetitive and you feel like you're just pushing yourself at the end to finish the game for no real reason. The story is very meh. I can't say I recommend it to anyone, but it was fine.

Addictive gameplay loop, lots of little strategies and things to try. It can get pretty difficult if you're not using your ace cards very diligently. Very cute, simple game that's just a treat to pick up and play!

Brillante forma de mover un género que, a mi parecer se había quedado en la era de juegos Flash. El arte es muy bonito, la música pegajosa y la narrativa junto con el concepto es bastante carismático. Cuenta con elementos roguelike y un sistema de cartas para ayudarte en la travesía por los 18 hoyos aleatorios. No contará con rejugabilidad, pero vale mucho la pena probarlo.

Fun game, neat concept. Agree with other reviews that it lacks replayability. Consider waiting for a sale as the price tag is a bit much for the current amount of content.

What can i say it's golf with a rogue game play style, each play-through has been different and it's made the early morning feeds with a new-born that much more enjoyable whilst waiting. Don't know if maybe adding a putting mechanic or a simple tap-in button if you're next to the hole would work? Overall 10/10

Mechanically the game is fun however there are various bugs that will restart your progress, I also think it was a ridiculous choice to make the game rougelike. Would not recommend to others. On top of that I closed the game after a few hours of play and upon reopening I was forced to replay the tutorial

Cursed to Golf is a roguelike 2D golf platformer/dungeon crawler that's so much fun to play. What I initially thought would be a frustrating unfair mess I couldn't enjoy turned out to be an excellent game that felt incredible to finish.

+Beautiful art and animations
+Very challenging, the last two worlds especially had me sweating bullets.
+Ace Cards are all fun to learn and use to your advantage
+Top/Backspin is even more satisfying to get right
+Banger soundtrack (although it's mostly the Scotsman's boss theme that gets stuck in my head)
+Cute story and characters

-There are still a few glitches here and there
-I think you can only do each boss fight/race once, which is unfortunate. Maybe they reset if you've beaten the game, I'll update the review if that's the case. Minor nitpick here.
-Wind effect in Cursed levels/the final world feels very inconsistent
-Ace Cards can't be organized/sorted in any way.
-Maybe it's supposed to be part of the challenge, but the camera doesn't stretch far enough to see where you'll land most of the time.
8/10, might not be a ball-bustingly hard game for the hardcore gamers but still an incredibly charming and challenging game to play.

addictive and brain scratching game , very fun.

can be hard at the first few runs , then after you understand its mechanics , it becomes satisfying af , just make sure to make a good usage of cards and don't save them , the game gives you a ton of them and some levels are hard without them ,

the soundtrack is a banger too.

If you're too quick to judge with Cursed To Golf, you may feel as if it's a unfriendly and punishing gameplay experience. A little bit of practice will reveal the best 2D golf game we've seen since Golf Story back in 2017. This game has amazing visuals and soundtrack to boot, and I think that's more than enough to hold you through the initiation period you'll find yourself in. Once you learn to spin the ball to adjust your landing, mixed with careful use of your "Ace Cards" (Basically supernatural power ups and boons that help you accomplish what may have been impossible prior) you will be on your way to victory. They say this is the Dark Souls of Golf Games but it's actually the Spelunky of Golf Games.. so yeah.. buy it lol.

This is a very unique and challenging game. You actually feel good when you make crazy shots.
You have free look for a reason. You kinda have to plan out the best path you can see based off the cards you have and how many of those limited resources you want to risk by going a set path.

This is not for everyone, but if you're a fan of golf games in general, I can't image you disliking this game at all.

Not a Roguelike

It doesn't feel like a roguelike, the map generation is not procedural and when you replay them you will notice that maps are repeated, the tutorial is extensive and teaches a lot, something you usually learn with the time you dedicate to the game. I recommend this game for the story, the pixelart style and the gameplay. This game feels like an Early Access game but close to its full release. I think they should add a multiplayer, game modes (no card game, time trial games, cursed campaign, permadeath, etc), map creation and improve the hole generation.

The Boss bonuses are a joke.
Literally 1 checkpoint, 5 extra shots per hole, keep the cards between rounds (in stores there is already a book unlocked that allows you to keep the cards between games).

RATE: 71/100

This is a complex review. This is an amazing, clever, and really wonderfully delightful game with an incredible depth of design and I do really enjoy it.

But it really needs some balance patches right now, it just feels like it was balanced a little too closely to meet the demands of the developers who understand the game perfectly. All of my friends that have picked it up so far have struggled to grapple with the difficulty curve. I hope the developers add some better difficulty settings or just keep balancing because right now it feels close but still just a bit rough

8.3/10. It is a fun game and a fun take on both the gole and rogue genre. There's so much (lost?) potential in additional modes and replayability that could have been offered with the vanilla game. Perhaps future updates and/or DLCs will expand upon the base game including a difficulty modifier unlocked with each run completed. There easily could have been more achievements too, for example, completing a run without using any Ace cards.

This is the best roguelike golf dungeon crawler money can buy!
I had a great time golfing through it, the first two thirds were very chill and the last third of the game was nicely challenging. Even after a 100% completion I expect I'll be back for more!

I don't know if the legends never die at the end was for technoblade but it still made me cry a bit, aslo its a really fun game

fun and challenging way to burn time. not even close to finishing it, but suffice it to say, it's a very high quality 2d golf/puzzle platformer that you'll definitely enjoy!

Whoever was the gamedesigner involved in the tutorial is the worst. It's endless, extremly slow and could be done in 2min, not 20 with thousands of needed clicks to speed it up to that time. Got bored so extremly, that I lost all interest playing the game. The clicks to forward lame dialogs even isn't consistent. Sometimes it's space and sometimes it's left mouse, wtf; why?

I have to go with the neutral review, leaning on the side of positive. I actually didn't even realize that this was a roguelike until purchasing, otherwise I probably would have passed. But that's my fault, not the dev's. Despite the fact that rogulikes aren't my favorite genre, I feel like this game is fundamental proof that golf and roguelike don't mix well. The amount of skill you obtain while playing is minimal, and golfing itself is very slow, tedious, and precise. So re-playing the same holes and bosses isn't very fun because you don't really achieve any feeling of mastery on each additional pass. Some holes are incredibly long, and even though the game provides powerup cards, you'll still get stuck with an impossible-to-make shot somewhere. Missing a single shot that requires pixel-perfect precision, especially on a boss stage, can completely tank your run. And you can argue that's just how a roguelike works- but for me the process of replaying these stages has no appeal. I'd love to see the devs take these mechanics and presentation and apply them to a more standard, linear style of golf game.

This is a great game. Genuinely a fun original idea, and there's so much polish and attention to detail when it comes to the courses. I think the soundtrack + art style is very fun and relaxing, which is in fact exactly how I would describe this game to my friends.

10/10 if you like platformers and just want to have a chill relaxing evening.

Despite how overwhelmingly cute it is I really can't recommend it.
The game is crushingly slow even for a golf game!
The amount of visual flare is very good but it's at the sake of clean concise gameplay unfortunately.

When you pull off those perfect shots and you do unnecessarily strong victory arm pumps, but you're in your room and no saw you so it's okay.

The pixel-art and animations are top-notch, and the gameplay loop is extremely addicting. I wish I could leave a neutral review - I can tell the developers have put so much effort and detail into this game. However, as a casual player I find the courses unforgiving, especially when the randomised course generation works against you and the cards that you have available, it feels like an instant loss - which results in returning back all the way to the start since this is a rogue-like game. Additionally, when you loose - you don't earn any progression elements to make your next run slightly easier. I'd prefer this game to be more like a rogue-lite.

I'd hope in the future that the developer introduces some elements or settings which can be adjusted, or some balancing to help cater to a casual audience who simply enjoys the golf gameplay and mechanics.

An arcady Golf game worth your time,

especially if you're a fan of similar, not-so-serious golf games such as Kirby's Dream Course, or much of the Mario Golf series as I am. My 2nd, and winning, round, took place over nearly 5 short and sweet hours. This conflicts with my playtime due to me playing while offline on a laptop, I now notice, so it's a great, power efficient time killer if you have no internet.

I played Cursed to Golf with an Xbox controller, and found it very comfortable. I look forward to replaying this game with the Steam Deck—it seems as though Proton supports it very well.

Pacing was fine for the most part, it appears as though I'm the only one who noticed and adequately used the Fast Forward button throughout the campaign as I read other reviews, but locking such a vital mechanic, the Spin mechanic, behind a lost run seemed disingenuous.

This was compounded into an issue with the unforgiving level design at a macro standpoint. Each terrain block in the very first world(I think that's called The Swamp) is, well, very blocky. This means when you land too close to one, for the most part, you're just screwed. Take a Wedge shot backwards an inordinate distance, and you might be allowed to use your Driver next time. It's not as though the level designers shy away from rounding out corners in The Desert, where large sections of bunker hazards have diagonal slopes, so I think having sloped out, fairway corners in The Swamp could've reduced some initial frustration.

There was also some incredibly tight shots throughout the rest of the campaign, where you had about one or two frames to confirm your shot angle, or the entire shot was denied, often ending up in a penalty. I don't mind this being a challenge, but I would've much preferred an Ace Card that allowed you to guarantee these shots(by manually setting your power/angle through pixel-perfect steps, if you needed them) as opposed to Mulligan, which I hardly ever found a use for.(Ironically, I did find it helpful to undo the insane setbacks in the very last biome, but the last biome doesn't really need more handicaps.) A card like this would likely be balanced by not allowing you to use other mid-shot Ace Cards during its effect.

Above all else, though, I would've enjoyed planning shots more if I had any sort of description for what would happen with certain hazards and much more description on Ace Cards. For example, the allure of an electrical status effect on my Golf ball meant absolutely nothing to me, and thus, I never used the Ace Card that electrified your Golf ball. Why would I? Nothing seemed to fit with that interaction. Ice freezing water, and Fire burning through vines was straightforward enough in comparison. Instead of throwing text at the issue, perhaps consider video examples of interactions, which replace the card's beautifully illustrated art after hovering over the card for a while.

Of course, you could just unlock the Driving Range to all biomes instead of just the first one, which was a bit of a strange design choice to me. The Driving Range in general was a bit lacking in unique hazards though—I hardly ever felt the need to visit it while it was available. It would likely need to dynamically expand as you progress through the game if you are to consider this an alternative. The choice is nice, though.

Birdie Eye view features a big crosshair, but it's useless beyond making sure you follow your Rule of Thirds while in the mode, I guess. I believe it would make sense to describe hazards in this mode—nothing more than text descriptions. I understand that elemental interactions are dynamic, so instead of explaining the interaction on Ace Cards, you can explain the interaction in the level itself through Birdie Eye view. This sort of interaction would also allow you to see where Teleporters bring you, and easily follow Drill bits without squinting for minutes

The rouge-like mechanics didn't really strike me, as I reasonably breezed through most of the game on what may as well have been my first real round. I did make extensive use of both available "second chance" abilities, and planned for future runs by banking Ace Cards, but by the end of the cavernous area, I just broke the bank with my newfound safety(The third ability was worded pretty weirdly, but I think I would've been safe?) and had a very powerful Ace Card deck.

The economy in general wasn't very engaging, although I understand that it's a tradeoff between scoring terribly, and thus racking up mid-hole bonuses, to get that kind of profit, and scoring efficiently to end up tight on cash. When you're on the left side of this equation, there's little to zero reason to not sweep Eterni-Tee clean of all products—if you don't, the next time you're around, you'll just have a ton of cash and no stock to buy into. Would have been interesting to see your liquid assets mean something by the end of the game, but unfortunately, that doesn't seem to happen.

Comparing myself against the leaderboards, though? I placed in the top 1000, and I would consider my round a very mediocre round. I would have loved to see some kind of replay of the current World Record run, which sits at a Hole-In-One in every hole, extremely well beyond what #2 has! Other reviews mention plainly including some sort of Multiplayer mode, and I think an addition of that sort would be well received, but I don't think it should define the identity of this game.

This review may seem critical, but at the end of the day, I definitely enjoyed my time golfing in the underworld. It's a fine addition into what I feel is an unsaturated genre, the arcade golf genre, and I can always enjoy a return to this style of gameplay. The story wasn't pedantic to me, although the ending was a bit mute to my actual experience, and the art is as gorgeous as it comes; particularly when combined with the amazing soundtrack everyone agrees on.

This kind of game might simply not appeal to your choices, but it's far more exciting than real Golf. It's certainly less action packed than something like WHAT THE GOLF?, though. Once again: if you're into the genre, Cursed to Golf is well worth the asking price.

It's fun at the start, but the holes are way, waaaaaaay too long for a game you're expected to play multiple times. More than 20 strokes on a few holes during my playthrough. There's no way to visit the driving range mid-course so you have no idea how any of the new cards you get work, which is a shame because some holes are designed with them in mind for major shortcuts. I also don't know why we have to drive from hole to hole in between when it's a linear path. We should be able to just click on the node map and go there instantly.

Devs, the best thing you can do is make the holes shorter so people don't mind so much if they lose and have to repeat.

Great and unique, scratches an itch I didn't know I had. Like others have said, it's like a funky 2d platformer, which is very welcome in a world were a lot of modern platformers are very derivative.

It takes some time investment but I think the originality makes up for any shortcomings of the roguelike structure.

A refreshing and impressive addition to the indie golf game genre. Excellent mechanics, music and story, and I highly recommend it.

While I haven't played as much as I'd like, from the amount I've played I can tell it's a perfect game to play and unwind after a long day of work.

The controls are simple to use and don't require any fast reactions or twitch reflexes. All time sensitive inputs are done with the mouse so for most of the time I only need to be using one arm to play. The visuals are easy on the eyes with a lovely spread of colours and cute, smooth, impactful animation. The sound and music help create a great atmosphere as you progress on each hole.

Each time I interact with the game there’s this level of polish and charm that can’t help but make my day just a little bit brighter.

If you’re looking for a tough as nails roguelite to consume you I don’t think this game is for you.
If you’re looking for a game oozing with charm, polish, and character, then this is the game for you. I don’t even like golf, but the way the whole package comes together makes me enjoy every thwack of the character’s club hitting the ball.

I love the classic golf swing mechanic but this game does so many interesting things with the card powerups and course design, it's like a mini golf dungeon crawler.

And that soundtrack... S+!