Aquarist

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 484 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Aquarist Game Cover
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"Aquarist is a single-player Simulation game with pretty visuals, offering a relaxing sandbox experience in underwater aquarium management. Create and maintain habitats for diverse marine life, from fish and sea turtles to sharks and octopuses, while learning about these fascinating creatures. Be aware, however, that some grinding is involved to truly enjoy this game."

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 484 reviews
gameplay15 positive mentions
grinding25 negative mentions
  • The game offers a beautiful concept and stunning visuals, making it enjoyable to create and manage aquariums.
  • The in-game progression is satisfying, allowing players to unlock new features and expand their aquarium empire.
  • It's a relaxing game that provides a calming experience, perfect for fans of simulation and aquarium management.
  • The game is plagued with numerous bugs and glitches, which can hinder gameplay and lead to frustration.
  • The user interface can be clunky and difficult to navigate, making it challenging to place items and manage tanks effectively.
  • Despite being a few years old, the game lacks sufficient content and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay.
  • gameplay67 mentions

    The gameplay in "Aquarist" is characterized by a mix of engaging aquarium management tasks, such as fish care and tank design, but is often hindered by repetitive mechanics and some clunky controls. While the game offers a relaxing experience with visually appealing graphics and a variety of gameplay modes, players have noted issues with the user interface, tedious tasks, and limited creativity in tank building. Overall, the game is enjoyable but could benefit from improvements in mechanics and additional content to enhance the experience.

    • “I like how realistic it is and how much gameplay there is.”
    • “There were so many different gameplay modes that it stayed fun and interesting to the end.”
    • “Great game, relaxing with calming gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay itself is fine if you manage to avoid the bugs, but by the time I got it working right and stopped getting trapped in rooms or stuck with soil in my hands that I couldn't put down, I had lost interest.”
    • “One thing to note about this game is the gameplay can be what most would consider to be very tedious.”
    • “There are a few gameplay issues; the game suffers a bit from poor menu layouts (comparing fish is a headache as it's basically just two big lists), bad object selection (trying to select a stickleback in a tank full of other fish, plants, and rocks is almost impossible), and tries to put a bit too much busywork into your routine.”
  • story65 mentions

    The game's story mode is generally well-received, providing a solid narrative that guides players through various quests and tasks, although some find it tedious and time-consuming. Players appreciate the integration of side quests and the overall progression, which adds depth to the gameplay, but many express frustration with bugs and mechanics that hinder the experience. While the storyline is basic and can feel repetitive, it offers a satisfying sense of achievement as players unlock new content and expand their aquariums.

    • “The story mode is also fun, although it does go off a timer when you're opening your shop.”
    • “I love the introduction in the story as it really helps walk you through some of the basics of the game, and it's really helpful to start small and move up.”
    • “The few quests the game offers are really well done and probably my highlight for Aquarist.”
    • “The only downside is the limited amount of content and the game is too short (you can get through the entire story mode in less than 10 hours).”
    • “There's no real story in here beyond the odd startup in the tutorial (your father gets you into the hobby and gives you your first basement/garage shop?) and the goal of making better aquariums.”
    • “The inventory system gets frustrating very quickly and the dialog for the story needs a lot of TLC.”
  • graphics40 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and detailed representations of fish and aquariums, while others criticize the overall graphical quality and optimization issues. Some players find the graphics to be beautiful and immersive, enhancing the gameplay experience, while others point out significant bugs and mediocre visuals outside of the aquatic elements. Overall, the game appeals to aquarium enthusiasts with its attractive graphics, but it suffers from inconsistencies and technical flaws that detract from the experience.

    • “Stunning visuals - this is a nicely detailed game without compromising FPS (I've been playing at 60 FPS).”
    • “The graphics are fantastic, the fish and corals are extremely detailed and beautiful.”
    • “I am in awe over the stunning graphics that this game has to offer.”
    • “Terrible graphics, poor localization, and generally awful graphics (except for the actual fish and aquariums themselves) plague a vast majority of the game, as well as an agonizingly slow pacing that makes reaching farther into the game a complete slog.”
    • “The graphics are mediocre at best... the water texture is good and yes, the fish look and move pretty realistically, but everything outside of the tank is mid.”
    • “This game contains a lot of graphical and UI bugs, clipping objects, and bad collisions, which lead to exploiting the game to make it less boring (e.g., flying mode in almost a straight line to nourish the sharks).”
  • grinding25 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling bogged down by the numerous chores and tasks required to maintain and decorate aquariums. While some appreciate the intimate and realistic simulation experience, the overwhelming nature of the grinding often detracts from overall enjoyment, leading to frustration with the mechanics and user interface. Despite these criticisms, some players find satisfaction in the process, suggesting that the grind can be rewarding if approached with patience.

    • “While the overarching build of the aquarist should be fun and enjoyable, it is unfortunately bogged down with tediousness - simulator games like this must ride a very fine balance, and unfortunately, this one misses the mark.”
    • “The tasks are super tedious and boring (why does this game need me to walk between a sink on one floor and an aquarium on a different floor several times to fill the tank? I just want to start decorating).”
    • “Because of all the tediousness, the short days, the endless tasks you need to achieve each day, and the very limited options, it doesn't really feel like you get a lot of freedom.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and relaxing qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the smooth jazz soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere. Players appreciate the chill vibe it creates, making it suitable for casual gameplay, though some express a desire for more accessibility to the music, such as an in-game jukebox. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's experience, allowing players to unwind while enjoying the gameplay.

    • “I enjoyed all the detail and work that went into it; the music is calm and relaxing. I really would like an in-game jukebox or the ability to hear music anytime and not just the tracks that were in the job quests, which is the only place you can hear some tracks of the music.”
    • “I absolutely love the background music; it's very nice smooth relaxing jazz music.”
    • “Kickin' soundtrack and fun, easy-to-learn gameplay.”
    • “I enjoyed all the detail and work that went into it, but the music is calm and relaxing. I really would like an in-game jukebox or the ability to hear music anytime, not just the tracks that are in the job quests, which is the only place you can hear some tracks of the music.”
    • “Some minor problems are things like overly loud sounds (especially the bucket), tedious mechanics (removing each fish one by one), and the music.”
    • “Holy shit, the music.”
  • stability13 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches reported by players, including frequent crashes, freezing, and gameplay interruptions. Despite its appealing graphics and enjoyable gameplay, the persistent technical problems detract from the overall experience, leading some users to request refunds. Many players express hope for future updates to address these stability concerns.

    • “For a game that is 2-3 years old, there should not be so many glitches and bugs.”
    • “I don't typically complain about bugs because they do happen, but this is just too glitchy and buggy, and there are really no excuses for that given the age of the game vs. the amount of issues it has.”
    • “The only thing I'm having problems with is when I go to leave the buildings, it freezes my game and I have to restart my Steam Deck. I've spent hours and got really far, and now my game crashes and I lose all my save data!”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by amusing dialogue, a quirky storyline, and the comically exaggerated interactions between family members and aquarium management. Players find the absurdities of fish tank setups both entertaining and educational, contributing to a lighthearted gaming experience. Overall, the game is described as funny and enjoyable, despite some minor gameplay frustrations.

    • “The family members in the game are slightly terrifying, which is funny lol!”
    • “There's even a goofy storyline that was very relaxing and funny.”
    • “The realism is a little off with needs, etc. You can only put so many of one type of fish in a tank, which is good, but you can then put as many species of different fish in one tank as long as the other conditions are right for them, which is kinda hilarious. It teaches some things you should never do when setting up an aquarium, but that's a small gripe; this isn't meant to be megaquarium.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization has seen improvements, particularly with tools like the hammer, and recent updates have added new levels and content while enhancing performance. However, larger tanks can lead to overbreeding, which negatively impacts performance. Overall, players find the game to be a relaxing experience despite these issues.

    • “The optimization of tools and their use could be improved, especially the hammer.”
    • “They have come back and added levels, fish, backgrounds, and optimized the effects, making it a really relaxing and fun game.”
    • “With bigger tanks, they wind up overbreeding to the point of a performance hit.”
    • “They have come back and added levels, fish, backgrounds, and optimized the effects, but it still feels unpolished.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is enhanced by effective sound design that captures the underwater environment, providing a relaxing experience with ASMR-like effects from water and bubble sounds. While the music is described as merely okay, it still contributes positively to the overall calming ambiance.

    • “The sound design effectively captures the underwater atmosphere, enhancing players' experience.”
    • “They are so relaxing and almost give you an ASMR effect with the water, bubbles, and atmospheric sounds.”
    • “The music was okay as well and it did add to the game's relaxing atmosphere.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly in the satisfaction derived from creating tanks, with the final tanks providing a sense of accomplishment. However, some frustration arises from placement restrictions that can detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings.

    • “I genuinely enjoyed creating my tanks, and the last tanks of the game really made me feel good about my experience.”
    • “Which made me feel bad, yeah, but it allowed me to focus on the new tank.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received negative feedback due to excessive advertising for other titles from the developer, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, users have noted issues with the language quality, including grammar mistakes, further diminishing the appeal.

    • “On the bad side, the language is quite deficient with many grammar mistakes, and I disliked all those subtle ads for other games from the developer.”
    • “It's so chock-full of advertising for other games.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players appreciate the game's replayability, noting that it allows for significant variation through the selling and swapping of tanks and items, enabling new combinations of decorations, plants, and fish. This encourages experimentation and extends the gameplay experience beyond the initial completion.

    • “I could finish the content in another 6 hours or so, but there is a lot of replayability in that you can sell off tanks or items and completely change what is in them, trying new combinations of decorations, plants, and fish.”
    • “I could finish the content in another 6 hours or so, but there is a lot of replayability in that you can sell off tanks or items in them and completely change what is in there, trying new combinations of decorations, plants, and fish.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

9hMedian play time
13hAverage play time
3-26hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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