4D Golf

This game changes a man. After playing 100% of it, I am now a certified hypervolumepilled golfmaxxer.

If you have any interest in four dimensions, then this is the game for you. It's a unique experience which will grow your mind in an entirely new direction or two. A fun and familiar game in a truly alien space! Minigolf is a genius choice for 4D: the mechanics are simple but rich, and you're rewarded for spatial awareness. You're not rushed and can take your time to consider things, and the scoring system encourages you to do so. If you're on the fence but think it may be too difficult, don't be put off! The levels were made by humans for humans. Though our brains aren't set up to fully visualise 4D, you don't need to be a maths nerd to understand and enjoy it here. The courses have been carefully crafted to introduce quirks of higher dimensions at a comfortable pace, and players are granted plenty of tools to help them navigate. The volume view gets a particular shout out in this regard, which lets you see something analogous to a "top-down" view of the level. There is a satisfying level of challenge in that the physics is fully 4D: slopes and collisions can push the ball in directions that aren't visible from the current perspective. This sounds off-putting but is something you quickly get used to, and when this happens it's very smoothly animated to look like the world is changing around you. On trickier holes, considering all 4 dimensions may be needed for some putts rather than finding a nice 3D "slice" and disregarding all else. In terms of presentation, the music is catchy and enjoyable, but can feel repetitive if you spend too long on a course; the courses each have a distinct aesthetic, which are pleasant and achieve clarity for gameplay's sake; and the levels feature many imaginative props, especially in the museum course. The developer (CodeParade) has a clear passion for geometry which shines through in-game and in the developer vlogs on YouTube. It feels like CodeParade had as much fun making the game as I had playing it. 5/5