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Fishbowl

Fishbowl has a pretty solid foundation and a great art style, but unfortunately, due to its handling of the subject matter and the repetitive, tedious gameplay, it doesn’t live up to its potential. It’s a sweet game, with great art and some fun music, but Fishbowl struggled to connect with me.
Fishbowl Game Cover
91%Game Brain Score
story, emotional
grinding
96% User Score Based on 84 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

LinuxPCPlaystation 5Mac OSSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
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Fishbowl Game Cover

About

Fishbowl is a single player casual role playing game with a anime theme. It was developed by imissmyfriends.studio and was released on April 1, 2026. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Fishbowl is a narrative game about dreams, grief, and hope. Rediscover your memories and find your way into the present in this intimate experience where slice-of-life meets surreal.

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Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 84 reviews
story22 positive mentions
grinding1 negative mentions
  • Beautiful, heartfelt storytelling exploring grief, family, friendship, and Indian culture with emotional depth and authenticity.
  • Charming pixel art style, soothing music, and cozy atmosphere that enhance the immersive narrative experience.
  • Engaging and meaningful gameplay loop simulating daily routines during lockdown that reflects the emotional ups and downs realistically.
  • Repetitive gameplay and daily chore mechanics can feel tedious or boring to some players.
  • Excessive dialogue and numerous secondary characters sometimes detract from the central story and pacing.
  • Lack of accessibility options for certain players (e.g. dyslexic-friendly fonts) and minor discomfort during some dream sequences.
  • story
    53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of Fishbowl is a deeply emotional and well-crafted exploration of grief, family, and healing, centered on Alo’s journey after losing her grandmother. It unfolds gradually through objects, memories, and daily life activities, offering a relatable and heartfelt narrative that resonates strongly with players, particularly those who have experienced loss. While some find the pacing slow or dialogue excessive, the overall story is praised for its realism, emotional impact, and compelling character development.

    • “Fishbowl is a heartfelt story about Alo navigating the grief of her recently deceased grandmother.”
    • “The story unfolds through video calls, messages, and unpacking Jaja’s belongings, which slowly reveals that the past isn’t quite as simple as Alo remembers.”
    • “A phenomenal story that captures grief, family and friendship like I've never experienced.”
    • “A really impactful and well-constructed central story that gets drowned out a little too much by superfluous dialogue, repetitive actions, or generic secondary characters.”
    • “The jaja story is not that emotional; granny just comes in between and hopes to make me emotional, what the hell.”
    • “Linear story could have been better to connect with different characters, now they just keep popping out of nowhere.”
  • emotional
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Fishbowl delivers a deeply emotional and heartfelt experience centered on grief and healing, resonating personally with many players through its raw, authentic storytelling. Its blend of cozy daily moments, poignant narrative, charming pixel art, and soothing soundtrack creates a touching, intimate journey that often evokes tears and reflection. Overall, the game is praised for its emotional depth, warmth, and thoughtful portrayal of grief's non-linear process.

    • “Fishbowl is a heartfelt story about Alo navigating the grief of her recently deceased grandmother.”
    • “It was such an emotional journey that's deeply personal, intimate, warm, and heartfelt.”
    • “Fishbowl is a beautifully crafted, emotionally rich visual novel that proves that you don't have to weather the storm alone.”
  • gameplay
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay centers on engaging mini-games and daily routines that simulate a slice-of-life experience during lockdown, creating a cozy and relatable atmosphere. While some find the repetitive nature fitting and immersive, reflecting real-life monotony, others feel the gameplay can become stale and tedious over time. Overall, the simple mechanics effectively support the narrative, though they may not satisfy players seeking more varied or dynamic gameplay.

    • “The art style is adorable and the gameplay is unlike anything I have played - as you complete mini games in order to carry out everyday tasks, it almost feels like a slice of life mixed with narrative storytelling.”
    • “The game is structured around a loop of everyday routine, but has just enough novelty every day and little gameplay sequences to keep you going and feeling more and more connected to the main character.”
    • “The gameplay loop of living your daily life becomes very second nature and I felt myself falling into a very natural routine.”
    • “There really isn't much here to call gameplay—just a heck load of repeated QTEs and a bit of walking around.”
    • “The gameplay loop can feel stale after the first few days because it's more or less the same routine.”
    • “Fishbowl has a pretty solid foundation and a great art style, but unfortunately, due to its handling of the subject matter and the repetitive, tedious gameplay, it doesn’t live up to its potential.”
  • graphics
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics are widely praised for their adorable, charming, and beautifully crafted art style, effectively blending pixel art and aesthetic design to enhance the game's emotional narrative. The visuals contribute significantly to the cozy, melancholy yet hopeful atmosphere, with attention to detail and a well-integrated UI. However, some note that despite the strong visuals, the gameplay's repetitiveness somewhat undermines the overall experience.

    • “The pixel art style is really well done and it's cute.”
    • “A stunning game that took me by surprise for its story and artwork.”
    • “The graphics are so cute, and they really do tell a story.”
  • music
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music is widely praised for its beautiful, soothing, and relaxing qualities, often described as a perfect complement to the game's stunning pixel art and emotional storytelling. The soundtrack enhances the atmosphere, creating a cohesive and immersive experience.

    • “The gorgeous pixel art and colour palette in this game were an absolute joy, and I really loved the music throughout; relaxing lofi beats.”
    • “The art and music create a beautiful atmosphere that ties everything together.”
    • “Strong, emotional story, charming pixel art, and a soothing soundtrack.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game creates a unique, cozy, and emotionally impactful atmosphere that artfully blends aesthetics, music, and narrative to evoke feelings of melancholy and hope. The immersive ambiance effectively captures themes of grief, memory, and self-care, making the experience deeply resonant.

    • “I loved the cozy atmosphere of a big apartment during the pandemic, trying to tackle grief, memories, and taking care of yourself.”
    • “The atmosphere and general sentiment this game creates is entirely unique and will definitely hit you hard.”
    • “The art and music create a beautiful atmosphere that ties everything together.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game balances its serious themes of loss with numerous humorous and charming moments, providing a heartfelt yet lighthearted experience.

    • “Despite the game being about dealing with loss, it has so many hilarious and cute moments.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on low-end machines, making it accessible to players with less powerful hardware.

    • “Oh, and as a bonus, a lightweight title that runs smoothly on low-end machines.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is described as repetitive and tedious, detracting from the overall experience despite the solid foundation and great art style.

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Fishbowl is a casual role playing game with anime theme.

Fishbowl is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS, Steam Deck and others.

Fishbowl was released on April 1, 2026.

Fishbowl was developed by imissmyfriends.studio.

Fishbowl has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Fishbowl for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Fishbowl is a single player game.

Similar games include Venba, Sumire, Until Then, A Taste of the Past, Undusted: Letters from the Past and others.