Afterburn trades out golf clubs for cards in their new puzzle game Golf Peaks. Players might not require much knowledge of the sport to succeed, but does this title tax player’s minds rather than their patience?

Golf Peaks Review
Each isometric world found in Golf Peaks uses a grid format, featuring the ball on one side and a hole on the other. Rather than give players free reign over their hits, a series of cards can be found on the bottom of the screen that signifies how far the ball will go each time. Something with a “1” or a “3” is pretty self-explanatory, but there are other cards that will have two sets of numbers, with one featuring a curve. These can be used for chip shots, and allows players to clear hazards and spaces with ease. When six or more cards are thrown into the mix, it is important for players to weigh their options and figure out the best course of action for each stage.

This might all sound simple, but the devil is in the details. A number of elements are in play in each zone, including water hazards, sand traps, quicksand, hills, springboards, and even portals. Finding ways to utilize these elements with your current deck can make things interesting, especially since some of the solutions are a bit more unorthodox. Though there is typically only one solution for most puzzles, and some cards can be left unused, the trial and error element makes things interesting. Players will likely not get some of the more advanced puzzles on their first try, but it is easy to undo moves and plan things out at your own pace.

Players will be able to experience Golf Peaks’ six different worlds, unlocking new stages after completing previous ones. Each world has a general theme to it, and completing nine stages unlocks the next one. Those up to the challenge can also take on one of three challenge levels for each world, which really ramp up the difficulty. Nevertheless, the 72 levels that make up the game can be finished fairly quickly – we were able to 100% this title in a little over an hour. There are no star rankings, scores, or time limits – this is one title where what you see is what you get.

This would normally be alright, but a number of the early puzzles are a little too easy to ease players into mechanics. These levels often feel like filler, and their simple solutions typically offer a beeline to the hole and only around two different cards (see the image above for an example). If the game offered more content, this wouldn’t be so bad, but as it stands, it feels a bit lopsided.

Golf Peaks’ card-based mechanics lead to some interesting puzzles, but the package is a little on the light side. There is a solid golf game to be found here, but it is over before it even begins.