Software:Wonderputt

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Wonderputt
Wonderputt App Icon.png
App Store icon
Developer(s)Reece Millidge
Platform(s)Browser, iOS
ReleaseBrowser
  • WW: 15 August 2011
iOS
  • WW: 12 September 2012
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player

Wonderputt is a 2011 video game for Flash and iOS created by Damp Gnat, the studio of independent developer Reece Millidge. The game is a simulation of mini golf in which players navigate through an surrealistic animated course that changes its obstacles and holes on a single screen. Millidge developed the game following the creation of earlier mini golf titles in the attempt to create a more animated title for a wider audience. Upon release, Wonderputt received positive reviews, with praise directed to the game's visual presentation and course design, and criticism directed to the controls and short duration of the game. The game received award nominations at the Webby Awards and the Independent Games Festival.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Wonderputt features courses that are located on a single screen.

Players aim to complete eighteen holes of a mini golf course whilst avoiding traps and obstacles in as few swings as possible. The player controls the ball using the mouse on the browser, or touch controls for iOS, and drags to adjust the strength of the swing in the direction of an arrow. The game features a par score for individual holes and also a points system for the final score, encouraging players to replay the game to get the highest score.[1] As players complete holes, the landscape of the course changes, introducing new obstacles and holes to complete.[2] Completion of the game unlocks a "Rainbow" collectables mode for additional challenge, in which players also aim to complete all holes of the course whilst collecting shards of a rainbow throughout the course for additional points.[1]

Development and release

Wonderputt was created by independent developer Reece Millidge. Millidge had created earlier Flash-based mini golf games Adverputt and Microputt. Wonderputt was developed over a six-month period using the Adverputt engine with the purpose of expanding the game for a wider audience and creating a "rich and animated environment".[3] Millidge was inspired by the visual presentation of scientific illustrations and encyclopedias and their cross-section of landscapes,[4] and designed parts of the isometric course as a homage to M.C. Escher. Originally intended as a course that played through the diagrams of products advertised on a website, Millidge changed the "direction and flow" of the game as the game's concept "outgrew the initial concept and size".[3] On 12 September 2012, an iPad compatible version of Wonderputt was released, featuring high definition graphics for a larger display, a longer soundtrack, and changes to the control scheme.[5]

Sales

Millidge recounded that the game was a financial success, with the game receiving 100,000 paid downloads and becoming the 1# paid app on the UK charts.[6]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic77%[7]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Pocket Gamer4/5 stars[2]
TouchArcade4/5 stars[5]
148 Apps4/5 stars[8]
AppSpy4/5[9]
Slide to Play3/4[1]

Wonderputt received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Many critics praised the game's visual presentation and design, with several comparing the design to the work of M.C. Escher.[3][10] Describing the game as "breathtakingly good-looking", Pocket Gamer highlighted the game's "awe-inspiring" and "brilliant" animations, and described the holes as "cleverly interlaced" and "well thought-out".[2] 148 Apps described the graphics as "absolutely amazing" and "incredibly detailed".[8] AppSpy praised the "novel artwork", finding the game to be filled with "delightful gadgets and hazards".[9] However, Slide to Play found the miniaturized graphics to limit visibility due to the absence of a zoom system.[1]

Critics were mixed on the gameplay and controls. Destructoid commended the game for its "elegant shooting mechanic" and "surprisingly robust physics".[10] Pocket Gamer faulted the iPad controls for being imprecise, stating "you're rarely able to get the precision you really need".[2] Similarly, 148 Apps found the isometric graphics to make it "difficult to line up shots" and discerning slopes.[8] AppSpy noted the controls were "not perfect" due to the "tiny areas that are sectioned off to putt on".[9]

Critics were mixed on the game's limited content and replayability. Touch Arcade noted the game's single course was a "let down", but found the introduction of collectibles on a second playthrough "much more fun and manageable".[5] Pocket Gamer found that "once you've played it once, you've basically seen it all".[2] 148 Apps similarly remarked that "the one course may wear thin over time".[8] AppSpy described the game as a "small offering" that is "easily played through in a single sitting", although acknowledged its additional mode.[9]

Accolades

Wonderputt received several award nominations. In 2012, the game received a nomination for 'Excellence in Visual Art' at the Independent Games Festival.[11] In 2014, the game was nominated for a Webby Award for the Best Tablet Game.[12]

Sequel

In December 2022, a sequel titled Wonderputt Forever was announced and released for iOS, Android and Steam,[13] with the mobile version released exclusively as part of the Netflix Games service.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Eaves, Phil (18 September 2012). "Wonderputt iPad Review". Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120919061257/http://www.slidetoplay.com/story/wonderputt-ipad-review. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Slater, Harry (20 September 2012). "Wonderputt". https://www.pocketgamer.com/wonderputt/wonderputt/. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Curtis, Tom (8 February 2012). "Road to the IGF: Damp Gnat's Wonderputt". https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/road-to-the-igf-damp-gnat-s-i-wonderputt-i-. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  4. ↑ Priestman, Chris (April 2017). "Scale-Bound". Edge (304): 84. https://archive.org/details/Edge_Gaming/Edge%20Gaming%20Magazine%20304. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Polson, John (13 September 2012). "'Wonderputt' Review – Polymorphic Putt-Putt Painting Worth Playing". https://toucharcade.com/2012/09/13/wonderputt-review-polymorphic-putt-putt-painting-worth-playing/. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  6. ↑ Schramm, Mike (19 April 2017). "Wonderputt creator Reece Millidge talks about the upcoming, beautiful Icycle: On Thin Ice". https://www.engadget.com/2013-05-02-wonderputt-creator-reece-millidge-talks-about-the-upcoming-beau.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAE3OSJmFZ3iqY2CWUPswvBvggSvrkVbsYgsltfW1m3QGKdLeTq3K3ZbNvE3hJGz1J9aJzetOdvzOqzIwGOX4y_0uWqISN42PJfG2sVF-F7NZQCpPKAcc_VZKiAfOTIp6f9gD3-o8dNNeBZpVsRF-NRKG5S2Ie80N6QO19wMgqibv. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  7. ↑ "Wonderputt". https://www.metacritic.com/game/wonderputt. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Dotson, Carter (18 September 2012). "Wonderputt Review". https://www.148apps.com/reviews/wonderputt-review/. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Nesvabda, Andrew (13 September 2012). "Wonderputt iPad Review". https://www.appspy.com/review/3571/wonderputt-ipad-review. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Leray, Joseph (19 August 2011). "Wonderputt is the best way to spend your next 15 minutes". https://www.destructoid.com/wonderputt-is-the-best-way-to-spend-your-next-15-minutes/. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  11. ↑ Plante, Chris (7 March 2012). "Here are your winners of the 2012 Independent Games Festival". https://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/3/7/2853545/here-are-your-winners-of-the-2012-independent-games-festival. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  12. ↑ "Nominee: Wonderputt". https://winners.webbyawards.com/2014/apps-dapps-and-software/tablet-and-all-other-devices/games-tablet-all-other-devices/144717/wonderputt. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  13. ↑ "Wonderputt Forever - Official Launch Trailer". 3 December 2022. https://www.ign.com/videos/wonderputt-forever-official-launch-trailer. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  14. ↑ Long, Neil (8 April 2023). "Netflix's game catalogue is often overlooked - but plenty are worth your time". https://www.eurogamer.net/netflixs-game-catalogue-is-often-overlooked-but-plenty-are-worth-your-time. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 

External links



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