GolfTopia

GolfTopia is a great game with a lot of potential. It offers a lot of customisation, a non-existent learning curve, and you can actually play golf. Even though it has a few minor issues and the characters look like they are from the PS2 era, GolfTopia is a must-play for any golf sim lover.

92%Game Brain Score

graphics, gameplay

grinding, monetization

97% User Score Based on 824 reviews

Critic Score 0%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

GolfTopia is a single player tactical strategy game. It was developed by MinMax Games Ltd. and was released on March 30, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"GolfTopia is a single-player strategy game with outstanding gameplay, featuring pretty visuals and a good soundtrack. As the owner of a golf course, your goal is to design, plan, and build it to meet the needs of 200 persistent golfers, who will evolve and develop a long-term opinion of your course. Use data mining to understand golfers' minds and tinker with your course, while dealing with the nemesis of golf - weeds."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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97%

Audience ScoreBased on 824 reviews

graphics32 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

GolfTopia offers a creative and intuitive course design experience, allowing players to build unique and engaging golf holes with ease.
The game successfully captures the nostalgic feel of Sid Meier's SimGolf while introducing modern graphics and gameplay mechanics.
The developer is actively engaged with the community, providing regular updates and improvements based on player feedback.

The futuristic theme and gadgets may not appeal to all players, potentially detracting from the traditional golf experience.
The AI golfers can sometimes behave in ways that disrupt gameplay, such as attempting impossible shots or getting stuck.
The game currently lacks depth in management mechanics, making it feel less challenging and rewarding over time.

graphics
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
69%
6%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their vibrant colors and charming art style, with a unique futuristic aesthetic that some players initially found off-putting but grew to appreciate. While the visuals are described as bright and appealing, opinions vary on the effectiveness of the sci-fi elements, with some feeling they detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are considered decent to good, enhancing the gameplay without being the primary focus.
- “The art style is superb and the colors really pop, especially at night.”
- “Graphics are stunning, with loads of beautiful lighting and stunning effects.”
- “The graphics are very nice to look at, the maps feel great to play on and the random map generation is good.”
- “The graphics of the game are severely lacking.”
- “The graphics and colors look bad, and the sound and music is grating.”
- “This isn't a minor point - too many creative games nowadays ship with ugly graphics so while you might build something interesting, it's hard to sit back and marvel at your creation when the graphics are dull or ugly.”
gameplay
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
74%
3%
The gameplay in Golftopia is characterized by a blend of relaxed course management and creative design mechanics, allowing players to build unique golf courses with a variety of whimsical elements. While the futuristic theme and certain mechanics, like the intrusive weed feature, may not appeal to purists, the game offers intuitive tools and engaging gameplay that can be toggled for a customized experience. However, some players feel the game lacks depth and objectives, leading to a desire for more challenging and varied gameplay elements.
- “Cool and relaxed gameplay and visuals are great for this kind of game.”
- “The gameplay is great and I have spent countless hours just trying to make golfers happy.”
- “Gameplay: building your course is very easy and fun with loads of different options like crazy wind fans to divert the ball, fire hoops, decorations, sand traps all make the hole varied and exciting for the player which in turn makes them happier.”
- “Randomized course layouts all basically look the same, the NPC players are uninspiring, and the construction mechanics ultimately felt shallow.”
- “Still an early access game and admittedly the developer could work towards fleshing out the game more, particularly in terms of the 'management' part of the gameplay; at times I found myself just waiting for cash to build up so I could get the next clubhouse upgrade, which is not too bad and quite relaxing actually, but I'd like a bit more of a challenge too!”
- “Normally in a management game I can see past lower graphics; it's about the mechanics of the game, not the looks, but in Golftopia's case, there are very little in the way of mechanics to carry it.”
music
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
47%
15%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its catchy and eclectic soundtrack that enhances the gaming experience, while others find it repetitive or even grating over extended play sessions. Some tracks are highlighted as particularly enjoyable, contributing to a relaxed atmosphere, though a few users noted specific songs that detracted from their enjoyment. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong point, despite some players opting to mute it in favor of their own music.
- “Another positive note, the in-game music is actually quite catchy and enjoyable to listen to.”
- “The soundtrack is my new favorite album!”
- “Relaxing, pumping music, visually lovely, and wonderfully competent at simulating a little living sci-fi golf course with people that are real enough to shoot over your rubbish rock barrier to get a par shot!”
- “The music in sim games can sometimes be stale and boring.”
- “I just couldn't get used to the futuristic aspect of the game, not to mention the terrible music... I took a gimme and turned it off and played my own in the background.”
- “Music gets annoying after a while - muted and pulled up Spotify.”
story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
12%
The game lacks a traditional story, with reviewers noting the absence of campaigns, missions, or tournaments, making it feel simplified compared to its predecessor. Players primarily engage in land management and upgrades, often spending significant time waiting for resources rather than following a narrative. While some express a desire for a scenario mode, the overall consensus is that the game does not prioritize storytelling.
- “The characters, throughout the story, have those iconic Rareware eyes as with Banjo, which yes, coming from the same devs is painfully obvious.”
- “And while it's not quite as addictive or story-cohesive as SimGolf, I'm looking forward to spending more hours with the game this winter once it's too cold to play outside at my latitude.”
- “If you didn't play that game, then here's the short story:”
- “The game is simplified compared to its spiritual predecessor in many ways - no tournaments, no stories, no campaign, no missions.”
- “If Golftopia has those types of story devices, I haven't seen them in my first 6 hours of play.”
- “Of the 9 hours I spent playing this game, I think 3 to 4 were me doing something else while the game just ran to tick up enough time to get enough money to upgrade my clubhouse or buy a new plot of land.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a lighthearted and whimsical approach, blending tycoon mechanics with a comedic golf simulation. Players enjoy creating absurd golf course designs that elicit laughter, particularly through amusing golfer reactions and quirky sound effects. The overall tone is playful and self-aware, enhancing the charm of the game's art style and gameplay.
- “I was laughing as I saw golfers hit their balls at the hole and watching as a few kept falling into the drink.”
- “The golfers also make hilarious noises with their talking.”
- “The humor doesn't take itself too seriously in any of their games, which I appreciate, and the art style is always so charming.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it fun and engaging with arcade-style elements and sandbox play, others feel that once the game is fully completed, there is little incentive to replay. Suggestions for improvement include adding custom challenges and more diverse options to enhance replay value.
- “Instead, it has a very nice arcade style, with good camera controls and great replay value.”
- “Once you 100% the game, there's no replayability.”
- “Overall, this game started off pretty good and I do like the foundation they have created, but I think to further the value of the game, they need to increase additional options and try to increase overall replay value.”
- “This probably more aligns to replayability, but in addition to the sandbox play, I would like to see where they have custom challenges where you can select a specific situation.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly without crashes and being virtually bug-free, aside from a minor issue with golfer emotions. While it is currently in early access and somewhat limited in content, players report a technically sound experience with enjoyable gameplay.
- “It's technically perfect and bug free as far as I can tell so far.”
- “The game runs great.”
- “Early access so it's a bit bare bones at the moment but not very buggy and the content available is very good and enjoyable.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is described as relaxing and enjoyable, appealing particularly to fans of golf and low-management tycoon genres. Reviewers appreciate the unique settings and themes that distinguish it from similar titles, highlighting its ability to create a fun and engaging environment without relying on direct comparisons to predecessors.
- “I really enjoy the relaxing and fun atmosphere.”
- “I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys golf, low-management tycoon games, and a fun atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is unique, with settings and themes that stand on their own, showing that a game can be great without being a carbon copy of its predecessors.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment, with some describing it as "a bit grindy" and suggesting that it may feel overwhelming at times.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect allows players to engage in gameplay with their avatars, level up, participate in tournaments, and incorporate advertisements, suggesting a blend of free-to-play elements with optional competitive features.