Most realistic golf game: it took me 428 strokes to finish a hole

I have always struggled with golf, which is why golf video games used to feel like salvation. The Mega Drive’s PGA Golf gave simple, forgiving controls: tap to start the swing, tap for power, tap for the sweet spot. Later innovations — thumb-pad swing sims and the Wii’s motion controls — added variety, but they remained straightforward to master.

Normal Golf Game, which has a demo on Steam, deliberately does the opposite. Created by Luke Muscat, the developer behind Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride, it uses a ragdoll stickman and direct limb control: you move the arms with the mouse while two pairs of keys change stance and club face angle.

The concentration required is intense; you must watch your limbs and the club face at once, and perfect shots land only about 10% of the time. The game is also often very funny. The script lands, and the demo peppers the solitary hole with surreal objectives — destroying signs, striking hidden gongs, even landing the ball in gigantic toilets.

normal golf, luke muscat, steam demo, ragdoll stickman, limb control, pga golf, wii motion, swing sims, jetpack joyride, club face