Reviewed by Greg J. Schloesser
MINI GOLF DESIGNER (Thematic Games, 1 to 5 players, ages 12 and up, 90-120 minutes; $50)
I have always been enamored by mini-golf. I have vivid recollections of my dad taking the family to play “crazy golf” whenever we were on vacation. I was absolutely captivated by the windmills, dragons, crooked houses, flying pigs and assortment of other features that presented both putting challenges and fantastical settings. Indeed, it was well into my adulthood before I would accept the bland, unadorned putt-putt courses that are prevalent today. My heart still skips a beat whenever I spot the fancy “crazy golf” courses, even though it has been years since I have played one, in spite of living near the tourist Mecca of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, which features numerous alluring courses. I need to do get back on a course soon.
I don’t recall how I learned of the game Mini Golf Designer by Alban Nanty, but I do know that I immediately ordered a copy directly from Thematic Games’ website. I was a bit apprehensive, as the company is located in Hong Kong, and with today’s shipping issues, I feared I may never receive delivery of the game. I needn’t have worried, as the game arrived quickly and in tip-top condition. While I always have some trepidation purchasing games from designers and companies with whom I am completely unfamiliar, I must say that have been very pleasantly surprised by both the quality and entertainment value of the game.
The theme of the game perfectly fits its title and objective: design a mini golf course. In practice, it is a simple game involving the selecting of a tile and placing it into one’s developing course. The rules are actually quite simple and straightforward, but the challenge of designing an attractive and challenging course that meets the desires of one’s customers can be quite tricky.
Each player receives an entrance gate tile (shaped like a slice of pie), a personal score sheet (which tracks the par level of each hole the player designs), 9 “hole” markers, and 36 “par” cubes in the player’s color. Additionally, each player will be dealt three land cards, each of which depicts the layout confines of their course. Each player will select one of these (which have difficulty ratings and victory points if completed) and discard the remaining two. Each player will be designing their own course as they select and place tiles from those available each round.
There is no central board per se. Rather, there are three “racks”, each with space for six tiles and a “bench” area. Each turn, tiles (one more than the number of players) are drawn randomly from the large bag and arranged on the middle track in ascending order based on the numbers on the back of the tiles. The bottom rack is also filled with tiles, giving players information as to the tiles that will be available on the next round. The top rack is for the player order, which will change just about every round.
Most tiles depict a portion of a golf course “hole”, either the tee, fairway or hole. Often there are people and/or animals depicted enjoying the course. Some tiles depict terrain and no hole segments, often depicting nature and/or animals and people at play or relaxation. Those depicting course segments often have a small flag with a number, indicating the difficulty (or “par value”) of that particular segment. All of these features need to be considered when selecting a tile. More on this in a bit.
In turn order – which is determined randomly to start, but is then based on the previous turns’ tile selection – players will select a tile from the middle rack and place the tile into their course. Each tile placed must touch either the entrance gate or a previously placed tile. The object is to create a 9-hole course that begins and ends at the entrance gate tile. As with any well designed mini-golf course, the nine holes should flow in order, so one hole ends where another one begins.
When a player selects a tile, he places his marker from the turn order rack onto the space occupied by the tile he is taking. Once all players have selected tiles, this board is slid to the top and the next turn’s player turn order is based on the order of the player’s markers. So, choosing a tile that is earlier on the track means a player will go earlier in the selection process next turn, but the tiles near the front a track tend to be a bit less flexible and more difficult to incorporate into one’s course.
There are many other factors to consider when selecting and placing a tile. First and perhaps foremost, a player’s 9-hole course should have a par value of 36, which happens to correspond to the number of par cubes a player has. Each time a player completes a hole – which must consist of a tee and hole tile – along with any number of fairway tiles – he adds the value of all the flag symbols and marks the total with cubes for that hole on his personal score sheet. Holes with a par value of 3 – 5 are the objective, earning a player points for each hole that falls within this range. Any hole with less or more will cost the player points at game’s end.
Another factor to consider is the preference of the two clients. Before the game begins, one male and one female client card is revealed, with each client expressing a preference in the course design. These may include holes with a specified par value, only straight holes, animals present on the course, flower beds, etc. Points are awarded for satisfying these preferences – and these points can be significant.
To be profitable, a course must attract customers. So, players will earn points for the number of people depicted on the tiles on their course. The more people, the greater the points earned, so players should grab tiles that depict people… provided, of course, those tiles fit well within one’s design.
Of course, one must stick to the confines of one’s layout constraints. Going outside of the boundaries or covering spaces that were supposed to be water will cost the player dearly. Likewise, not completely filling all of the spaces in one’s layout will also prove detrimental.
Players must also strive to make the course flow, with one hole ending where the next one begins. Points are gained for accomplishing this, and lost for failing to do so. Further, each hole should be properly organized so that there are not multiple tees or holes on one hole, and all “jump” and “tube” features are in the proper orientation. You guessed it: failure to do so will cost the player points.
Whew! There is a LOT to think about when planning and designing one’s course. I have read some reports wherein folks have complained that there are too many factors to consider, but I disagree. I find all of these “conditions” to be reasonably logical and intuitive, although they do prove quite challenging. Designing an attractive, logical and flowing course that meets the clients’ desires is, indeed, challenging and presents quite the puzzle. All of this adds-up to a fun game that tests one’s design acumen and presents players with some tough choices.
The game concludes after all players pass, declaring their course complete. A player may do this even if his course isn’t technically finished. Once a player declares he is passing, his opponents continue to take their turns until they all pass. However, each time a player who has passed has his turn, he takes a tile as normal, but instead of placing it into his course, he saves the tile. Each of these tiles will be worth 3 points at game’s end. So, passing early can earn a lot of points, but the player may have to overcome negative points if he didn’t finish his course.
Once all players have passed, points are earned or lost in the various categories I have mentioned above. The player with the greatest number of points is victorious and becomes THE mini-golf destination.
A typical game takes about 1 ½ – 2 hours to complete, perhaps a bit longer with a full contingent of five players. For the most part, players are designing their own course and not directly interfering with their opponents’ efforts. However, turn order does play a major factor as players often jostle for positioning in order to grab a desired tile that will be availing on the next turn. Players may pass and not select a tile on a particular turn – which allows them to choose earlier on the next turn – but passing too often will likely result in a player falling behind his opponents in filling his course layout. This, of course, could cost a player dearly at game’s end.
Note that there is an advanced version that adds promise cards to the mix. These cards represent promises the designer (aka, the player!) has made to the clients. They correspond with the normal methods for earning points, but challenge the player to excel in those areas. Players each have their own set of cards and select one or more at the beginning of the game, and may choose more during the game whenever a “client” tile is drawn from the bag. At game’s end, the players will score more points depending upon how well they ranked in the categories corresponding to the promises they have made. This version adds more complexity and scoring fiddliness to the game. I have never played using the advanced version as I believe the base game is easier to understand and play. No need to complicate matters.
There are so many choices to make during the game that it feels like a heavy, complex game, but the joy is that it isn’t! Sure, it is puzzly and challenging, but the rules are easy and game play is, for the most part, logical and intuitive. It is also very thematic, and one actually gets the feeling of designing a mini golf course. It is almost as much fun as actually playing a game of mini-golf. The game certainly scores a birdie! – – – – – Greg J. Schloesser
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