The Case of the Golden Idol
LQ: 9.85
Recommended Age: 12+
Skills Used: Focus, Working Memory, Mathematics, Reading
Billed as a game for people who “hate golf,” What the Golf takes this traditional sport and turns it on its head. The player navigates through challenges where they will need to use light physics and puzzle solving to get the ball, cat, planet desk chair, etc into the hole. No two challenges are alike and each is both challenging and surprising.
The player has the option of three different modes: Quick Play, Adventures, and Main Campaign. Players can partake in daily challenges and alternate adventures in addition to the main storyline. The main storyline has your character, a golf ball, rolling around a laboratory where new golfing innovations are being tested. By completing challenges, you advance further in the lab and unlock new areas which have additional challenges to beat. Certain areas are only accessible when you have earned a certain number of crowns, which you acquire when you play levels multiple times and beat a special level marked with a crown.
What the Golf is rated E10+ for Fantasy Violence and the possibility of user interaction. Learningworks for Kids stands by this rating.
Flexibility: Adapting and adjusting to changing conditions and expectations.
Because every challenge in What the Golf is different, the player needs to demonstrate flexibility and adapt to each individual challenge. For example, in one level you might be on a fairly standard course, trying to get a golf ball into a hole. The next level might have you trying to race against a sheep to get to the hole first. Players who struggle with flexibility may find it hard to jump from one way of beating the challenge to another where the goal is different. These players should start playing through the traditional Story mode and play the game a little at a time to try out new levels without overwhelming themselves.
Time Management: Working under pressure.
Some levels in What the Golf have a timed component while others require the player to use effective timing to get to the end of the course. The player will need to use their time management skills to navigate both of these challenges. For example, a level might have the player moving their golf ball across a busy street filled with moving cars. Crashing into the cars will cause you to lose the level. Racing levels also require the player to work under pressure and beat the opponent to the finish line. Players who struggle with working under time constraints may find that these games are an easy and lighthearted way to practice and gain confidence with this skill.
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