Alphaputt

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A wanted to like this a lot more than I do. It’s absolutely lovely and a clever concept. It’s marred by some weird UI bits, though. Foremost is the fact that the pull-back power mechanism and numeric power indicator sometimes mean that you can’t actually see what power you’re set, and other times you’re limited in the “available” power by the size of the screen. Further complicating that, it’s unclear what the power numbers actually mean and there very little feedback how much travel a given amount of power creates. Obviously, some amount of that is what makes the game challenging, but there’s just too little feedback for my taste.

I am NOT a golfer. Not. But the graphics and appealing price led me to investigate. Wow. I am addicted. A mini-golf game with the courses designed as letters. But that’s too simple a description. The golf ball physics are spot on. And there are so many little touches that didn’t have to be included but were anyway, like the screams if you flub the knievel jump, or the tiny shark fins circling the jail moat. The sound design is also superb, with every letter getting its own theme, sound effects, and in some cases I think there are actually visual jokes or eyeball commentary hidden in the designs, like the iron filings on X and the levitating stones on Z. Not to mention the constantly changing comments at the end of every letter to encourage you. Apart from the whimsical undertones, the game mechanics are so silly and fun, yet so well executed, that it ends up feeling sophisticated. A truly entertaining app. Who would have thought? Well done Designers! Perhaps add numbers?, or just add anything else. But more wonderful mini-golf please! Thanks!

I’ve been following Sennep’s production of this game for close to a year now (yes, I’m that passionate about mini golf games) and I’m proud to report that Alphaputt has all the charm, wonder & thoughtful design it promised and more! I’ve been thoroughly enjoying playing and typing out my own courses. Not everyone will notice the depth of thoughtfulness that went into even the smallest details of this game, but I certainly do & I hope you keep an eye out for them as well. This is a game by a design studio, not a dime-a-dozen “MiniPutt Lite”.

Clever, beautiful, unique, intelligent. And FUN! Those who are picking this apart in minute detail are missing the point. The kind of pennies-per-pleasure pedantry that really seems to plague iOS game reviews is wasted effort and disappointing. The cost is low, the entertainment value is high. Is this the best iOS game? The last game you’ll ever need? Of course not. But take it for what it is. A meticulous gem of skilled creative effort. I’ll follow this game studio to see what comes next.

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The game seems like a quick put together from 3D demo. No thought into gameplay or fun. The graphics are nice and the ideas for some of the letters cute. I bought this all excited to play with my kids, that love Stick Man Golf, and was excited about the idea of exploring the alphabet in a fun way with them. But the game quickly became both boring and frustrating. Explains why they don’t have in app purchases to unblock the other letters, nobody would buy after playing a single letter. It was a good idea that requires a lot more work and going back to the drawing board when it comes to gameplay as well as performance tuning.