“Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose,” said Winston Churchill, Woodrow Wilson, or someone else (it depends on who you ask).
Thankfully, 4DTri has created a TTRPG that massively improves golf by making one small change: giving all golfers demonic powers.
Occult Golf Turns Golf Analog
Occult Golf is a micro-TTRPG about magic-wielding golfers using their dark powers to defeat their foes and win the match. The basic golf mechanics are simple and intuitive. Each player starts with three clubs, with bigger clubs using dice with more faces (e.g. a Driver could be a D20, while a Putter may be a D4).
Navigating the course is even simpler, as each is a scale where the tee is 0 and the hole is 40. Each shot sees you roll your dice and add that number to your ball’s position, finally making the put when you reach 40. Though beware, the course is also split into zones, each with its own hazards and mechanics, meaning that one misjudged shot can quickly get you into trouble.
But it’s the magic system where the game really shines. Before each hole starts, each player picks three spells from a massive list. Then, at the start of any turn, a player may interrupt and declare they are casting a spell.
Occult Golf’s Marvelous Magic
Each spell can be cast once for free. However, if a player wants to use the spell again, they must roll a dice. But beware, if you roll an odd number, your soul gets sucked into your golf ball for the rest of the hole.
Though don’t worry, being a ball isn’t a death sentence. Players trapped in their balls can cast spells and slowly propel themselves towards the hole. This means a dedicated player can easily mount a massive comeback and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, especially if the other players get too focused on trying to mess each other up.
Occult Golf is a fantastic party game, combining simple mechanics with utterly hilarious chaos. This chaos builds naturally, meaning that by the third hole, players will be going full Dick Dastardly, plotting out ludicrous gambits as they try to get a few feet ahead of the other players. However, no matter how chaotic the game gets, the mechanics remain stable and easy to follow, meaning you’re not forced to stop the fun due to awkward rule debates.
Plus, the simplicity of the mechanics means that it’s easy for players to make their own courses and spells, allowing for fun custom games. In fact, the simple course system means you could turn real-world course maps into Occult Golf ones, letting you take your golf wizards to your local course.
Jonathon Greenall is a freelance writer, TTRPG designer, and visual artist. They love creating and exploring the often overlooked corners of indie media, spotlighting things that dare to be different.