Aquarist: My First Job
- September 16, 2021
- FreeMind S.A.
- 12h median play time
Get on SteamGet your first job in the Aquarist! Learn how to set up aquarium, decorate it and take care of your fish!
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a realistic experience in terms of fish care, including managing water temperature and pH levels.
- Graphics are visually appealing, with a good selection of tank decorations and plants.
- The game has potential for educational value, especially for new fishkeepers, and provides a relaxing gameplay experience.
- The controls are frustrating and unintuitive, making it difficult to place decorations and manage the aquarium effectively.
- The game is plagued by bugs, including issues with saving progress and crashing, which detracts from the overall experience.
- The tutorial lacks clarity and can be overly micromanaging, leading to confusion and frustration for players.
- story6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for the main gameplay, which focuses on building and customizing fish tanks. Players may find the initial story tasks tedious, but there is anticipation for more complex missions in future updates. Overall, enjoyment of the game hinges on whether players prefer a relaxed, creative experience rather than a narrative-driven one.
“The story is extra, really just about building, customizing, and maintaining fish tanks. How much enjoyment you get out of it will depend on whether you want a relaxed 'set up a fish tank and make it pretty' game or not.”
“I have played the boy tank story and the decorative tutorial.”
“More content to come, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming more complicated missions.”
“I have to do a bunch of story junk before even getting into the aquarium.”
“If, like me, you quit out of frustration and try to go back, the 'continue' button that appears just restarts the story.”
“The 'story' is extra; it's really just about building, customizing, and maintaining fish tanks. How much enjoyment you get out of it will depend on whether you want a relaxed 'set up a fish tank and make it pretty' game or not.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics have received positive feedback, with users noting a good selection of tank decor and plants, as well as a quality that exceeds expectations. While some describe the graphics as simple, they still find them visually appealing and consistent with other simulator-style games.
“Pretty good selection for tank decor and plants for a demo, and the graphics are great.”
“Graphics quality is better than I expected.”
“Graphically, I like pretty much everything.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a well-structured tutorial that effectively introduces players to the game mechanics, such as item placement based on color changes. However, there are significant concerns regarding the handling mechanics, which many users feel require a complete overhaul.
“Aquarist: My First Job gameplay is engaging and enjoyable.”
“The tutorial for Aquarist: My First Job gameplay is well-structured and informative.”
“The tutorial takes you through everything one step at a time and does a decent job of explaining most of the game mechanics (you can place items when the color changes).”
“Handling mechanics need completely rewriting.”
“Aquarist: My First Job gameplay is lacking.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting numerous bugs, unresponsive controls, and a lack of progress saving, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. Many players feel misled by the absence of a clear indication that the game is a demo, further compounding their dissatisfaction. Overall, the game's stability is a major drawback, making it difficult to recommend.
“I like the premise of this game, but it's incredibly buggy and the controls are weird.”
“Way too buggy; plus, it doesn't even say it's a demo of a game, it tells you right after you download it.”
“I do not recommend it; way too buggy, it does not save your progress, so you have to restart. When it tells you to screenshot the best place for your aquarium, it does not work. Complete waste of time.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while many players appreciate the selection of chilled-out tracks, there are concerns about the inclusion of allegedly stolen music, which detracts from the overall experience.
“Some huge positives, love the music.”
“Good selection of chilled out music.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect somewhat tedious due to the repetitive tasks involved, such as managing tools, which can evoke the burdensome nature of real-life hobbies like maintaining an aquarium. However, many appreciate it as a more manageable alternative.
“It can seem a bit tedious, with all the back-and-forth for tools and such. It reminds me of why I don't want a real-life aquarium, with all the work that's involved.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
“I find the grinding to be a major chore, taking away from the enjoyment of the gameplay.”
