Cursed to Golf review: Is this the hardest golf game ever?

A typical game of golf has 6 to 7 courses, and over 100 holes. There are many ways to get in on the game of golf. The Cursed Golf? There’s just one course with 18 holes. And struggling to get out of a sand trap won’t result in a bogey as much as your eternal damnation.

It isn’t your typical video golf game. It is the most punishing and creative twist on the golf formula I’ve ever played. And I still haven’t finished those 18 holes.

While The Cursed GolfWhile it shares some basic similarities to the game of golf, where you hit a ball with your stick and get it into a hole until it is in play, it soon departs from this model in unexpected ways.

You have only a few strokes left to finish each hole. Run out of strokes and you’re dead. Literally. It is like being sucked into an elevator and having to go back to hole one. You will find the typical hole here The Cursed Golf might take 20 or more strokes to complete, but you’ll start out with far fewer than that. You’ll have to earn more strokes by smashing statues scattered around each course, which might add two or even four more life-giving strokes to your reserves.

Image: Chuhai Labs/Thunderful

There are a variety of consumable cards that can give you an advantage. A mulligan is the simplest of these cards. It allows you to retake shots without having your stroke count decrease. The possibilities get even stranger once you move on. You can choose one or more of the cards to split your ball, and then you’ll be able to pick your next shot from the other two. You can choose to stop the time, which causes your ball’s freeze-in-place and subsequent fall right down. These cards come in dozens, so it is important to know when you can use them. A mulligan could be used after you’ve gone out of your way smashing a stroke statue. This will give you the benefit without having to pay a stroke.

It may seem like you’re given a tremendous edge, but careful use of these cards throughout your 18-hole journey is required. It’s easy to fall behind on your stroke count and just start burning your cache of cards until you’ve got no chance to survive the hole. In your search for the exit from hell, every shot is important.

Image: Chuhai Labs/Thunderful

These changes have resulted in these new possibilities The Cursed Golf Feels more focused and strategic than many golf games. Compare to Dark Soulsand this makes it feel closer to hardcore roguelikes, such as Spelunky HD Take down the SpireWhere carelessness can cause disaster,

There’s also the element of randomness to contend with. It’s a bit unfair to say that The Cursed Golf only has 18 holes, because it’s actually procedurally generated. Hazard and statue placements change each time you start from scratch, so you can’t just memorize the most effective way through every hole.

The course themes can be changed every few holes to add variety and include temples, forests, or other remarkable places for you to die. Every theme has its own traps and features, such as ricochet walls which allow you to change your ball’s trajectory. If you make a mistake in interpreting a danger, it will end in your death. Like the greatest roguelikes you will succeed and master the zone. This will allow you to take on even more challenging challenges.

Although most people are not aware of this, The Cursed Golf’s twists on the formula work well, there are some frustrations tied to some of the game design decisions. While you can scroll ahead in a hole to see what’s in your path, when you’re aiming your shot, your view is painfully limited. Oftentimes you’ll hit your ball somewhat blindly, especially when it comes to long-range, full-power shots with your driver. While this does mimic actual golf and its blind doglegs, video game golf usually offers way more visibility into where you’re actually aiming. This is an In The Cursed Golf, there’s some guesswork involved, and guessing wrong can end a run in no time. This randomness can be disheartening when so much is on the line, but it’s also something you can try to prepare for by playing more conservatively.

Even when The Cursed Golf’s punishing difficulty, I’ve found myself getting closer and closer to the vaunted 18th hole on each run, with no desire to stop until I’ve reclaimed my mortality. It’s a testament to the craft of developer Chuhai Labs, which was willing to take such risks with such a proven formula that I haven’t stopped even after several punishing deaths. And I won’t stop until I finally remove this dreaded albatross from my neck.

The Cursed Golf On Aug. 18, the game has been made available on Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Chuhai Labs gave the game a pre-release downloading code. Vox Media is an affiliate partner. They do not affect editorial content. However, Vox Media might earn commissions when products are purchased through affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.