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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
90%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding
96% User Score Based on 122 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 5 reviews

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LinuxPCPlaystation 5Mac OSSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
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Fishbowl Game Cover

About Fishbowl

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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Reviews

96%Audience ScoreBased on 122 reviews
story31 positive mentions
grinding1 negative mentions
  • Beautiful pixel art and cozy, soothing atmosphere with a lovely soundtrack that enhances the emotional experience.
  • Deeply emotional, heartfelt, and relatable story exploring grief, loss, self-care, and healing with nuanced character development.
  • Thoughtful and immersive narrative combined with simple but meaningful gameplay mechanics that simulate daily routines and foster a personal connection to the protagonist.
  • Gameplay can feel repetitive and monotonous due to daily chores and routine tasks, which some players may find tedious or slow-paced.
  • Heavy emotional themes and some dreamlike sequences might be triggering or overwhelming for certain players.
  • Some players may find the dialogue excessive or the story pacing too slow, causing a loss of engagement.

  • story

    85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    36% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The story in Fishbowl is widely praised for its heartfelt and relatable portrayal of grief, loss, and emotional healing, set against a cozy, intimate slice-of-life backdrop. Many players connect deeply with the character development and subtle, poetic narrative style, though some find the pacing slow or repetitive due to mundane daily tasks. Overall, it delivers a touching, emotionally grounded experience that resonates strongly with those seeking story-rich, character-driven games.

    • “A phenomenal story that captures grief, family and friendship like I've never experienced.”
    • “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.”
    • “This game was a beautiful story from start to finish that perfectly encapsulated the sudden transition to asynchronous life during the COVID-19 pandemic, coping with the loss of someone you were really close to, and trying to stay in touch with family and friends as you grow up.”
    • “Even though it’s meant to be a storytelling and visual novel experience, it feels far too monotonous.”
    • “There are many story-driven games that make me curious about what will happen next, but this wasn’t one of them.”
    • “Every day the same tasks and no plot, no nothing.”

  • emotional

    71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Fishbowl delivers a deeply emotional and heartfelt experience centered on grief, healing, and personal connection through subtle, intimate storytelling and cozy daily routines. The game's heartfelt narrative, combined with charming pixel art and a soothing soundtrack, creates a powerful atmosphere that resonates with players, often evoking tears and emotional reflection. Overall, it balances melancholy and warmth, offering a relatable and authentic exploration of loss and recovery.

    • “The constant questions of what Alo could've done to help, her constant guilt, and the inability to truly focus on herself and her needs after her grandmother dies is so touching and made me feel so seen.”
    • “The game’s premise is simple, but that simplicity becomes one of its greatest strengths because it allows the emotional themes to feel authentic and relatable rather than exaggerated for dramatic effect.”
    • “Fishbowl balances the mundane moments of day to day pandemic life with emotional self-discovery.”

  • gameplay

    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    16% positive mentions, 73% neutral mentions, 11% negative mentions

    The gameplay of Fishbowl is intentionally simple and revolves around daily routines, mini-games, and emotional storytelling that aim to immerse players in the protagonist’s life during lockdown. While some find the repetitive loop meditative and fitting to the slice-of-life narrative, others may find it monotonous due to limited mechanical variety and slow pacing. Overall, the gameplay serves the narrative and atmosphere more than traditional challenge or complexity, appealing mostly to those seeking a cozy, reflective experience.

    • “Fishbowl is a uniquely captivating and powerful game; its casual gameplay works in tandem with the narrative to pack an emotional punch, and the stylised pixel graphics represent it all beautifully.”
    • “Much of the gameplay revolves around ordinary activities such as organizing files, participating in video calls, completing editing tasks, and sorting through memories connected to the past. These mechanics are intentionally simple, but they serve an important purpose by immersing players into Alo’s everyday life.”
    • “The gameplay loop of living your daily life becomes very second nature and I felt myself falling into a very natural routine.”
    • “Players expecting constant gameplay variety or dramatic narrative twists may find the slower structure difficult to engage with.”
    • “Much of the experience involves conversations, introspection, and repetitive routines, which intentionally mirror real life but can occasionally feel uneventful from a traditional gameplay perspective.”
    • “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

    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    45% positive mentions, 45% neutral mentions, 10% negative mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, warm color palette, and carefully crafted visuals that create a cozy, intimate atmosphere perfectly matching the emotional and narrative tone. The art style, combined with detailed environments and expressive character designs, enhances the storytelling and overall experience. While generally well-loved for its aesthetic appeal, a few note that the gameplay can feel repetitive despite the strong visual presentation.

    • “Fishbowl is a uniquely captivating and powerful game; its casual gameplay works in tandem with the narrative to pack an emotional punch, and the stylized pixel graphics represent it all beautifully.”
    • “The combination of pixel-inspired aesthetics and modern visual effects creates a cozy atmosphere that perfectly matches the emotional tone of the story.”
    • “The visuals are stunning, and the music just adds to the story.”
    • “I wish there had been an option to prep graphics or go through old footage or something instead of getting a good night's sleep, and then that would have affected our mood.”
    • “Depression game loop with cute graphics”
    • “The pixel artstyle is really well done and it's cute.”

  • music

    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    44% positive mentions, 56% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's mellow, lo-fi soundtrack beautifully complements its reflective and emotional atmosphere, often providing subtle background support without demanding attention. Players frequently praise the relaxing, soothing music for enhancing intimacy in scenes and adding depth to the story, with some tracks lingering memorably long after play. Overall, the music is widely regarded as a key element that harmonizes with the game's visuals and narrative to create a cohesive, immersive experience.

    • “The game’s lo-fi soundtrack is very mellow, helping to create a relaxing atmosphere while sitting in the background comfortably.”
    • “I still hum the ecocat theme song to myself almost two months after finishing the game!”
    • “The soundtrack rarely demands attention, instead subtly supporting emotional scenes and helping conversations feel more intimate.”

  • atmosphere

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    30% positive mentions, 70% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game’s atmosphere is characterized by a cozy, mellow, and reflective tone created through lo-fi music, pixel-inspired visuals, and careful transitions between grounded storytelling and abstract sequences. Its slow pace and intimate writing foster a deep emotional connection, evoking feelings of melancholy, hope, and introspection that resonate long after gameplay ends.

    • “The combination of pixel-inspired aesthetics and modern visual effects creates a cozy atmosphere that perfectly matches the emotional tone of the story.”
    • “Gentle background music, environmental ambience, and long stretches of quiet all contribute to the reflective atmosphere.”
    • “The transitions between grounded slice-of-life storytelling and abstract visual sequences are handled carefully, allowing the game to explore deeper emotional themes without losing its intimate atmosphere.”

  • optimization

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on low-end machines, providing a seamless and immersive experience with its gradual pacing.

    • “Runs smoothly and I loved the slow pacing and immersive world of this game.”
    • “Oh, and as a bonus, a lightweight title that runs smoothly on low-end machines.”

  • humor

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in the game effectively balances emotional depth with lightheartedness, delivering both heartfelt and genuinely funny moments that resonate with players. Its blend of laughter and touching scenes adds a unique charm to the overall experience.

    • “It has made me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time.”
    • “Despite the game being about dealing with loss, it has so many hilarious and cute moments.”

  • character development

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Fishbowl offers a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant experience, making it especially appealing to players who value narrative-driven games with strong character development and emotional storytelling.

    • “For players who appreciate narrative-focused games centered on character development and emotional storytelling, fishbowl delivers a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant experience.”

  • grinding

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in Fishbowl is criticized for being repetitive and tedious, detracting from the overall experience despite the game's solid foundation and appealing art style.

    • “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.”
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Critic Reviews

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

Fishbowl is a casual role playing game with anime theme. Common tags for Fishbowl include indie, lgbtq+, psychological, emotional, pixel graphics and others.

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 Closer the Distance, Venba, Sumire, Undusted: Letters from the Past, Afterlove EP and others.