If I was golfing, and a man came running across the green to sink my putt at the last moment, I’d think he was in need of psychiatric help. I wouldn’t put it past family or friends to do that to me, but a complete stranger is another matter. If I were to see an animal amble up to my ball and nudge it into the hole, I’d think it was rabid. Ziggy Putts is an app about a hedgehog who can’t resist sinking the putt before the human gets there. Luckily, he’s cute enough to get away with it.

Going after the ball.

Ziggy Putts is a cute little guy who lives on a golf course. He lives his life playing the game before the human players can beat him to it. Ziggy Putts differs from traditional golfing games because there are two separate aspects to the game. The first is the pre-putt phase where you collect fruit and mushrooms around obstacles. The second phase is actually putting the ball into the hole.

The pre-putt phase is not timed. So, feel free to take your time. It’s set up like other maze games where you have to locate coins or gems in order to earn points. There are obstacles like rakes and mowers that do damage, but these obstacles also protect a hoard of fruits and mushrooms. Ziggy Putts is much like Sonic The Hedgehog. He can’t swim. I don’t know where this exotic golf course was built, but there’s water everywhere. Obviously, the fruit and mushrooms are going to be around those edges.

The putting phase is timed. Depending on how far along you are in the game, the amount of time you have to sink the putt will vary. The app isn’t too particular about how you manage the putt. You can nudge. You can prod. You can even send it flying. You just have to get the ball in before time runs out. Time starts once you hit the putting green.

Controlling Ziggy can be a little difficult. The app uses swiping motions to move him around. That makes maneuvering around edges or navigating a ball a little harder. There’s also a button for jumping. Jumping over the water and using platforms is a common tactic for transitioning between the pre-putt phase and the putting phase.

Ziggy Putts is designed for both the iPad and the iPhone. It does cost about $0.99 in the App Store, but the app does deliver fun for the money. I tested the app on my iPad.

Since hedgehogs are good swimmers, why do game developers keep using water for boundaries instead of trees, rocks, or walls?