Mini-golf games certainly aren’t a new idea on mobile, and heck, even games that mix magic and golfing mechanics together aren’t a totally new idea. But as is the case with just about anything that’s a good idea on paper, it’s all about the execution in the end, and in this sense Arcane Golf absolutely nails what it sets out to do. This launched on PC a couple of years back and while promising on the surface it actually had quite a few issues, but developer FromLefcourt has spent the time since the totally revamping the game and whipping it into shape, and it’s this version which Clickteam has published on iOS and Android this week.
The very basics of Arcane Golf are easy to understand. Pull back on the ball to set the angle and power of your shot, and let go to shoot. You have a limited number of shots to get your ball in the hole. This is spiced up in a variety of ways thanks to enemies, environmental elements, and other aspects that affect the core gameplay of getting your ball into each hole. It’s these elements that make Arcane Golf something of a puzzle game as you suss out how to get the ball into the hole within your limited amount of shots while dealing with whatever wacky stuff the game throws at you.
Again though, this isn’t totally out of the ordinary for a mini-golf style of game on mobile. What really sets Arcane Golf apart is how it gives you the ability to literally snatch your shot out of midair and take another shot from that point. Most of the game is designed around this mechanic and it gives the game more of an action feel than a traditional mini-golf game or even a more traditional puzzler. It feels so good to grab your shot right out of midair and redirect it, and Arcane Golf really demands finesse from you as well, so it’s important to get the power of your shot just right too.
Overall this all comes together into a highly satisfying experience. Arcane Golf offers a set of fun mechanics that work well on the touchscreen and a ton of challenging content, all at a fair one-time purchase price, and sadly that’s becoming more and more rare nowadays. These types of fun puzzlers used to be all over the place years ago, but not so much anymore, so it’s important to celebrate when one comes along. Once you’ve grasped the unique aspects in Arcane Golf it becomes quite a compelling little game and it’s an easy recommendation for fans of puzzlers, mini-golf style mechanics, and premium games.
