Release Date: 06/08/2014
Played On: Android
Available On: Android / iOS / Mac / Win
Time Played: Many hours (have reinstalled/restarted a couple of times on different devices)
Progress: About 500 holes total
Developer: Captain Games
Publisher: Captain Games
It never ceases to amaze me that mobile gaming is often more popular than any other platform these days. I guess I might just be behind the times, but using my phone for playing games always seemed a bit pointless. The combination between awful touch controls and exploitative micro-transaction models has kept me far from mobile games for a long time.
That is of course, until I discovered a bunch of games that utilised the platform well and managed to thaw any cycnicism I had about companies cashing in with match-three clones. Turns out that there's a whole bunch of developers who actually care about the games they're making, just like on other platforms. There are even developers who take the time to make games that are actually suited for mobile devices better than others.
It's a good lesson to always remember that no matter how cynical an industry might appear to be, there are probably some decent folks among the crowd who are trying their best. Thankfully we're now at a stage in the mobile game industry where many of the horrible practices of the past have been made obsolete.
If you're not sure what I mean, then cast your mind back to how many mobile games used to use the 'on screen' controller layouts for touch devices. Sure they still exist, but I'm happy to notice that developers have engaged with different control schemes that do more than just replicate physical controllers in an artificial space. It seems that somewhere along the way, someone realised that straight ports from desktop/console to mobile/touch (and vice versa) were a terrible idea, and more work needed to be done.
At the same time, it seems like there are a number of games that have flourished on touch platforms, because of the touch controls. Of course it's a matter of taste at the end of the day, but I think games like Monument Valley and The Room will always be best on mobile devices.
As players we now understand the language of touch interfaces, as we've been trained how to tap, press, drag, and pinch our way across the screen. Whether or not these motions are strictly 'intuitive' is a debate for another time, but these systems have been around long enough now that we all kind of know what we're doing.
However, in spite of all these advancements, I still find myself avoiding mobile gaming most of the time. I don't even play scrabble, or chess, or anything simple that most people I know dabble in. My phone isn't really something I use for much more than direct communication (ie phone calls, texts, and emails). It's rare that I find anything else on my phone that will capture my attention and have me coming back for more.
It takes a specific and niche mixture of elements for a mobile game to work well for me, and Desert Golfing has it all. The time investment is short, the controls are minimal and easy to understand, but the game is compelling and still requires a little bit of skill.
Good design is often thought of as abstracting an idea or an image down to the simplest form that is still universally understood. The classic smiley face is a fine example of good design as it's simultaneously a simple abstraction, while maintaining its meaning and purpose. Now try and apply the same qualities to a golf game, and you might end up with something like Desert Golfing.
The graphics are as plain as they can be, with only a few elements on screen at any given moment. Shades of colour indicate the sky and the ground; a simple white circle represents the ball; a simple triangle for a flag; and a dent in the ground to mark the hole. There are some other little UI elements and effects that appear now and then, but ultimately this is a minimalist game that keeps everything extremely simple.
Of course, the point of playing golf is to hit the ball into the hole with as few hits as possible. The terrain and distance of the hole will change the difficulty and depending on the lie of the land, it could be hard as nails or a simple tap to the end. Each hole in Desert Golfing features a seemingly random configuration of rises and falls in elevation. Some are relatively flat, while others present pits and walls to get over accurately and delicately.
What makes this more than just an abstraction of a complex game, is that the effort has been spent on building a physics environment that feels good to interact with. Launching the ball into the air is as simple as tapping on the screen and dragging away from the first point you touched. The angle of your movement determines the angle that you'll hit the ball, while the distance determines the force with which the ball will be hit.
Again, it's a simple system that makes sense and feels intuitive to use, but only because the physics in the game work in the way you would expect. The ball travels into the air and falls back to earth with smooth arcs that make sense. Even hitting the ball along the ground creates a sense of friction that slows it down faster than if it's in the air.
It might sound like a straight forward and sensible system, but each of those parameters had to be set by someone, and it's nice to really feel like they tried to make them work well. These kind of hidden elements in games are what makes it truly feel intuitive and welcoming, but they can often be some of the more difficult parts to tweak. I'm sure we've all played a game where the physics felt a bit floaty, or explosions and gunfire lacked impact, or any number of other balances and checks that appear to be small, but will stop you ever getting invested in the gameplay.
With a game like Desert Golfing, there isn't a lot else going on other than a few simple gameplay elements, so it's imperative that they all feel good to interact with, and they do. I can't express just how off-putting it would have been if any one of these few elements was out of whack with the rest and a bit clunky in comparison. It's only with every part greased up and running smoothly that the player can relax and have a good time playing the game.
So while this appears to be a simple little golf game, it's actually a very sophisticate and thoughtful exercise in simplicity and balance. The clear abstraction used in its design means that my big man fingers never get in the way on-screen, and I always feel like I'm in control. This is precisely the kind of game that I enjoy having on my phone, and I'll continue to play it whenever I have a few minutes to kill.
Which is ultimately the mark of a good mobile game, as I actually look forward to finding an opportunity to play a hole or two. I often whip it out when I'm waiting for an order at a shop, or have a few minutes to kill before an appointment. It's super easy to hit the icon and shoot off a few balls before even a minute has passed.
I'm not the kind of person who will spend long periods of time playing games on mobile devices. In fact I get nervous about wasting my battery on frivolous things when I have more important uses for the same device. So I find myself avoiding mobile games, except for the few that manage to stand out and grab my attention for being unique in some way.
Desert Golfing is a beautiful achievement of abstracted design and purposeful minimalism. Other games are beautiful tactile interactions, or ingenious innovations on touch based interfaces, but at the end of the day I'm only interested in short bursts of satisfaction. This game reveals its elegance by hitting every measure of quality, while remaining small, quick, and minimal in its design.
It's great for a casual minute or two, or a more serious session of precise shots and skilled play. There's enough challenge and enjoyment to be had no matter how you approach Desert Golfing, which makes it one of my favourite mobile games to date.