Feel like you need more fish? Never enough tanks in your home? Yeah, we get it. Here at FantaSEA Aquariums, we spend all day managing clients’ tanks, and then we go home and manage our own—and we’re still not tired of it. Luckily, game developers have created Fish Game in order to scratch that itch.
I spent an evening playing the new Fish Game, which advertises itself as a “detailed and highly sofishticated aquarium simulator”. You can find my verdict below.
A game for aquarists
According to the developers, A Shell in the Pit Games and Creative Ink Games, Fish Game is an aquarium simulator for aquarists, by aquarists.
I’m inclined to agree: the sim goes way beyond just picking a few fish and popping them in a premade tank. Everything in the game is connected, just like in real life, with great attention to detail.
“Fish Game’s goal is not to be a true-to-life simulator (though it has become the most in-depth sim of its kind we’re aware of) but to recreate the feelings of nurturing, building, surprise & fascination that makes fishkeeping a fulfilling hobby to millions. It’s a sim, but it’s still a game. It has to be fun.”
For example, all fish have their own personalities, which match the species’ real characteristics (so yes, your small tetras will be eaten if you house them with an arowana). Plants actually grow, although you do need to supply the right nutrients. They can also be pruned and propagated.
As for the tanks themselves, they range from very small to VERY big, and can be customized to your heart’s content. You can choose from a huge variety of everything from substrate to rocks, driftwood, and decorations.
Tip: At the time of writing, Fish Game is in its early stages. There’s no fish breeding yet and limited equipment. I’ve been assured devs are working hard on getting these expansions to us ASAP. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for invertebrates.
What we liked
I spent a few hours playing Fish Game (note: I was given the game for free, but all opinions are my own) to see what all the fuss was about. I limited myself to only one aquarium to prevent myself from getting hooked (haha, like in fishing, get it?), but I still got a pretty good impression of what the game entails.
The verdict: Fish Game is immensely cozy. If you like exciting games or complex storylines, this obviously won’t be your thing, but it’s relaxing, detailed, and nice to look at. Do keep in mind that, again, it’s not fully finished at the time of writing.
My favorite thing about Fish Game is that there’s no money. I don’t have to grind to be able to buy new and better things—all I have to do is regularly check the various aquarium stores and see if they’ve got anything new and exciting in stock. I pop the fish, plants, and décor in my inventory, move them into my own tanks, and that’s it.
The aquarium stores themselves, as well as things like inventory space, new foods, cleaning tools, and substrate types, are unlocked using XP rather than money. How do you get the XP? By just playing! You unlock one point for each in-game day that passes.
Even though I only had one tank, I didn’t manage to get bored with the game. With a few tanks at the same time, you’d be pretty busy keeping things running smoothly! Fun and lightly challenging, although you can select “No Death Mode” if you’re worried about fish dying.
Here’s what I liked about Fish Game:
- Huge variety of fish, plants, and décor
- Attention to detail (the water ripples when you move your cursor over it!)
- Sense of humor
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Soothing and de-stressing
- Pleasant music
There are a few flaws in the game. There were a few instances where things didn’t feel completely intuitive. I had to re-start the tutorial at one point because I didn’t catch how to use one of the functions.
Anyway, since this is a work in progress, it can hopefully only get better. All in all, I’ll be sure to revisit my tank soon!
