Get yer sea legs out, whippersnappers.
We're taking to the seas to catch some fishies!
Morning! It’s a nice day for fishing, ain’t it?
Are you a fan of fishing games? Then we’re in the same boat!
This week, I’m taking you out into the deep blue to cast our lines and reel in some fish.
Please note, most fishing game titles have to be SHOUTED. Don’t know why.
Nice Day For Fishing
Nice Day For Fishing is a game based on the Epic NPC Man YouTube series by Viva La Dirt League.
With lines and characters from the series, they created a fishing game with a twist. I really don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m not going to go into detail. I feel like it holds up as a solid game even if you haven’t watched Epic NPC Man… but why wouldn’t you? It’s great!
Scale the Depths
I kept seeing ads for Scale the Depths all over Reddit, and it looked like something I really needed to play - so I dove into the demo.
And I’m so, so glad I did!
At this point, the demo includes only the basic functionalities, bait for example isn’t there yet, but it already shows so much promise.
The fish catching mechanic is unique. You guide your hook through the depths, catching fish you hit it with, or cleverly avoiding them to go catch fish deeper into the lake.
Then you take them to the kitchen, where you filet them, after which you’ll feed them to the local aquatic wildlife. In return, they’ll give you money, which you can spend on upgrades.
Solid loop, relaxing gameplay and cute graphics. Has me hook, line and sinker.
DREDGE
I was most afraid to try out DREDGE, because… well, I don’t do well with horror(-adjacent) games or with deep-sea-monster games, and this one is both.
So I put on my brown pants and booted up the game, played for a little while and I’m blown away by the atmosphere it puts down. It’s the right amount of cosy fishing game and unsettling eldritch horror, making it the second best wholesomely terrifying game I’ve played since Cult of the Lamb.
I especially like the inventory management. There’s just something about playing Tetris in your inventory that tickles my brain.
So far, I haven’t seen anything too terrifying (yet), mostly because I’m too chicken-shit to sail out at night. But soon…
DAVE THE DIVER
DAVE THE DIVER isn’t a fishing game in terms of casting a rod and reeling in fish. You catch fish by diving into the ocean and harpooning them… or killing them with a gun, that’s fine, too.
You bring up your fish, take them to your sushi chef and then serve his dishes to your customers, who’ll gladly munch it up, leave a good review on social media and toss you some coins, which you can then invest in more decorations for your restaurant or better equipment to dive for ingredients.
It’s the perfect business model and a gorgeous game. I’ve been hesitant trying it because, honestly, I don’t do well with “deep water” games when I’m not wearing my brown pants (for which we mainly have Subnautica to thank).
The game reminds of the concept of Moonlighter (which now has a sequel I’m eager to play!), where you run a shop by day and go dungeon delving by night, to collect things to sell. Except here it’s not relics and a shop, but fish and a restaurant.
The pixel art in this game is downright gorgeous, there hasn’t been a repeating cutscene I’ve skipped just because I love looking at them so much.
Clawfish
Ahh, I love me a good literal “arcade” game!
Clawfish isn’t a very long game, just the right amount of time to spend in a game that admittedly is a bit wonky, though it genuinely adds to the charm.
It’s a reverse fishing game as in, you don’t take your fishing rod to the ocean and catch fish, it’s the opposite! There are fish trapped in aquarium claw machines that you have to “claw” out and release back into the sea.
The fish art is gorgeous and their descriptions hilarious, which makes the game well worth it.
Movement is slow, and you sometimes glitch through things, but it’s surprisingly cosy and fun regardless of the occasional jank. It’s about half an hour well spent to just catch your breath… and some fish.
WEBFISHING
What’s this? A sixth game?!
I added WEBFISHING as a bonus game this week because… well it’s a fishing game? Duh.
But more than that, it’s practically a chatbox.
Very simply put, you host a lobby that people can join, and you catch fish while you hang out and chat (in text).
It feels like, if you’d strip Animal Crossing of everything except the fishing - and it’s cosy and warm and fuzzy.
Want to play webfishing together? Let me know on Discord!
