Hole in Won

This game is about as "hard neutral" as they come, so I'll err on the side of a positive review. The game was okay and I enjoyed parts of it, but some parts were terribly irritating. The idea of the game is fine: isometric block golf puzzles, with new types of blocks and mechanics introduced every 10 levels. In each batch of 10 levels, they start out easy to teach you how the new blocks work, and then they get progressively. That's all good. But there are several things I really hate about this game. For one thing, you have to place the blocks in the order that they appear in the stack, so if the block you want is at the bottom, you have to place all other blocks first. This does not add to the puzzles at all, so it's just incredibly annoying and results in a ton of backtracking, forcing you to memorize the exact locations you placed all the blocks. Also, you can only place blocks adjacent to existing blocks, which again can make it frustrating to place the blocks how you want. These two poor design features make large puzzles with a lot of blocks a huge pain. And then there's the insane physics of the game. Instead of behaving consistently, the ball will sometimes get erratic …

Game is honestly fine, it's not that bad, but the campaign's final slew of missions are pretty disappointing. Some puzzles are intuitive and fun, but a few were just annoying.

Its a puzzle-themed golf game, or a golf-themed puzzle game... because golf is not hard enough--whenever I play, I'm always thinking, "I wish I could be solving riddles while I do this".

A lovely physics puzzle game. I ended up with a few solutions that I don't think were intended, which was great to stumble into for the harder levels.

Cute little puzzle game that's relaxing to play.

Would I recommend Hole in Won? Sadly no. I completed it, and while puzzle games usually aren't replayed, I also don't have fond memories of it. The core idea is solid, but the execution is rough around the edges, with selective realism in the physics and a few easily bypassed challenges. It has its own repository of user-built levels, but that one isn't enough to draw me back in. It's good for an hour or two, and then wanders to the shelf to collect dust. I have a love for minimalist puzzle games, and Hole in Won isn't even the first minigolf-themed one I tried out. But sadly, this one didn't convince me, with the main reason being inconsistency. What are the first things you expect of a puzzle game? Clear rules, and an intuitive way to figure out the solution. And Hole in Won delivers, for the most part. When a new aspect (like guard rails or ramps) is introduced, it happens through a series of 2 or 3 levels where the placement of the new element can easily be guessed. Then follow a few levels challenging that new understanding, and even mixing it up with some of the previous elements. That on its own is great, and I appreciate the thought put into the level design from that sid…