Aquarist

About

Aquarist is a single player casual strategy game. It was developed by FreeMind S.A. and was released on March 29, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

"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."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+14

Skip User Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 744 reviews

story24 positive mentions

grinding36 negative mentions

The game is very fun and enjoyable, with constant updates that keep the experience fresh.
It offers a relaxing gameplay experience, allowing players to design and manage their own aquariums.
The graphics are beautiful, and the variety of fish and decorations adds depth to the gameplay.

The controls can be clunky and frustrating, especially when placing items in the aquarium.
There are numerous bugs and crashes, particularly on the Steam Deck, which can hinder gameplay.
The game can feel repetitive and tedious, with many tasks that detract from the creative aspects of aquarium building.

story
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
72%
3%
The game's story mode serves as a tutorial that introduces players to the mechanics of aquarium management, but it is often criticized for being lengthy and occasionally buggy, leading to frustration. While some players appreciate the integration of side quests and the overall progression, many feel that the narrative lacks depth and can become repetitive. Overall, the story provides a basic framework for gameplay, but improvements in mission mechanics and content variety are desired.
- “There are several side quests that incorporate various elements of the developers' other games, which I enjoyed all of and felt added depth to Aquarist.”
- “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.”
- “This game for early access is great; I would love to see more types of fish and more setups, and I love the game but would love to see more overall content. The story mode is fantastic and so is the gameplay!”
- “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.”
gameplay
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
Gameplay in the game is a mix of engaging mechanics and frustrating elements, with players appreciating the realism and variety of modes while also noting issues like tedious tasks, poor menu layouts, and clunky object selection. While the core activities of aquarium management are enjoyable, some mechanics, such as cleaning and item manipulation, require improvement to enhance the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, many players find the game relaxing and visually appealing, with potential for further development in future updates.
- “There were so many different gameplay modes that it stayed fun and interesting to the end.”
- “Great game, relaxing with calming gameplay.”
- “Functions such as choosing fish, feeding them, cleaning the aquarium, and providing the right environment constitute the core gameplay.”
- “The only major issue is that the build mechanics in the side quests (and the side quests in general) are horrendous.”
- “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.”
- “One thing to note about this game is the gameplay can be what most would consider to be very tedious.”
graphics
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning detail of the fish and aquariums, while others note issues with optimization and various graphical bugs. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals and immersive environments, but some express disappointment with the quality of elements outside the tanks and the presence of clipping and collision problems. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good for the price, there is a consensus that further polish and optimization are needed.
- “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.”
- “The graphics are so beautiful I found myself zooming in and taking screenshots.”
- “The graphics are mediocre to say the least... 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 (i.e., flying mode in almost a straight line to nourish the sharks).”
- “I didn't experience any game-breaking bugs, but I did notice later on in-game that there were graphical issues.”
grinding
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, with players expressing frustration over the mechanics that require excessive back-and-forth tasks, such as filling tanks and cleaning. While some appreciate the realism and find satisfaction in the intimate simulation of aquarium maintenance, many feel that the gameplay can become monotonous and restricts freedom due to the endless chores. Overall, the experience is a mix of enjoyable moments overshadowed by the grindy nature of the tasks involved.
- “This game focuses more on the tedious chores of making and maintaining an aquarium.”
- “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.”
- “One thing to note about this game is the gameplay can be what most would consider to be very tedious.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and relaxing qualities, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere. Many players express a desire for an in-game jukebox or the ability to access more tracks outside of specific job quests, as they enjoy the detailed work put into the soundtrack. While some minor issues with sound levels were noted, the general consensus is that the music enhances the gaming experience, making it ideal for zoning out.
- “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.”
- “This is an amazing game and it's perfect to just zone out to with music in the background.”
- “I like the calm jazz soundtrack and the product descriptions.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
stability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent crashes, bugs in character movements, and freezing when exiting buildings, which can lead to lost save data. While players appreciate the graphics and overall concept, the persistent glitches detract from the experience, prompting some to request refunds. Despite these problems, some users still find enjoyment in the gameplay, hoping for future updates to address the issues.
- “I wanted to love this game and the graphics are super pretty, but it's such a buggy, broken game.”
- “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'm not sure of the cause, but I thought I'd bring that up just in case anyone else is having that problem. Other than that, amazing job and I can't wait to see the future updates, if any. Edit: I've spent hours and got really, really far, and now my game crashes and I lose all my save data!”
- “For me, this game is very buggy and crashes a lot. I requested a refund.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The game's optimization has seen improvements, particularly with the addition of new levels, fish, and backgrounds, which enhance the overall experience. However, issues remain with tool usage, such as the hammer, and performance can suffer due to overbreeding in larger tanks. Overall, players find the game relaxing and enjoyable despite these optimization challenges.
- “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 end up overbreeding to the point of a performance hit.”
- “With bigger tanks, they wind up overbreeding to the point of a performance hit.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive sound design, which effectively captures the underwater environment with relaxing ASMR-like effects from water and bubbles. While the music is considered average, it still contributes positively to the overall calming experience.
- “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.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the tank creation process, finding joy in the final tanks they build. However, limitations on decoration placement can lead to frustration, which contrasts with the overall positive experience of crafting and focusing on new designs.
- “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.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky take on aquarium management, where players can mix various fish species in a tank despite unrealistic limitations on single species. This absurdity adds a comedic element, making the game enjoyable while also imparting lessons on aquarium setup, albeit with some minor frustrations regarding object placement. Overall, players find the game to be a nice and funny experience.
- “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.”
- “Nice and funny game! I think they will fix things like 'it's really hard to put objects in the aquarium (rocks, wood).'”
- “The humor in the game is delightful, making the experience enjoyable even when the mechanics are a bit quirky.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers significant replayability, allowing players to experiment with different combinations of decorations, plants, and fish by selling and rearranging items in their tanks, which can lead to varied gameplay experiences even after completing the main content.
- “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.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism for its subtle ads promoting other titles from the developer, which some users find intrusive and distracting. Additionally, the overall presentation suffers from poor language quality, further detracting from the experience.