Review by Jon Donnis
ROGOLF takes a very familiar idea and nudges it somewhere slightly stranger. On the surface it is mini golf, plain and simple, but wrapped inside a roguelite structure and dressed up in a quietly bleak office setting. You are not just lining up shots for the sake of it. You are climbing floors, chasing a contract, and trying not to get fired along the way. It is a small twist, though a clever one, and it gives the whole thing a sense of purpose that basic mini golf games often lack.
The central loop is easy to grasp. Each run has you playing through a series of mini golf levels on an old computer, with success pushing you higher up the building in the real world. Between floors, the lift becomes a kind of lifeline. Here you meet a robot smuggler who offers upgrades, equipment, and small advantages that can make or break a run. It adds a bit of character, but more importantly it gives the game momentum. You are not just retrying holes. You are building towards something.
What keeps things engaging is the way each level introduces its own rules. One moment you are avoiding walls entirely, the next you are counting every shot against a strict limit. These variations stop the game from becoming too predictable, at least in the short term. There is a steady push to adapt, and that fits nicely with the roguelite structure where no two runs play out exactly the same way.
The scoring system adds another layer. Every shot costs you points, which creates a constant tension between caution and efficiency. At the same time, collecting coins boosts your multiplier, encouraging riskier play if you want to post higher scores. It is a simple system, but it works. Combined with the ability to buy power ups and extra balls in the break room, there is just enough strategy to keep you thinking beyond the next swing.
Still, for all its ideas, the core mini golf mechanics are quite basic. The act of hitting the ball never really evolves, and after a while you start to notice the limits. The visuals lean into a dated look, which may well be intentional given the office setting, but it does not do much to elevate the experience. More of a sticking point is the lack of variety in actual course layouts. You begin to recognise holes fairly quickly, and that repetition can dull the excitement, especially during longer sessions.
Even so, there is something appealing about the way ROGOLF ties everything together. The climb through the building, the small interactions in the lift, and the idea of pushing back against upper management with the help of a hidden ally all give it a bit of personality. It is not trying to reinvent mini golf completely. It is just trying to give it a new frame, and for the most part it succeeds.
ROGOLF ends up feeling like a modest but worthwhile experiment. It is easy to pick up, occasionally frustrating, and quietly satisfying when a run comes together. It does not quite have the depth to sustain endless play, but there is enough here to make the journey to the top floor feel earned.
A fair score of 6.5 out of 10 feels about right.
Out Now on Steam
