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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 109 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

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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Fishbowl screenshot
Fishbowl screenshot
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Reviews

96%Audience ScoreBased on 109 reviews
story29 positive mentions
grinding1 negative mentions
  • Beautiful pixel art and cozy, calming atmosphere with lovely sound design and music.
  • Deeply emotional and heartfelt narrative that authentically explores grief, loss, and healing.
  • Engaging slice-of-life gameplay and mini-games that reflect daily routines adding emotional weight and immersion.
  • Gameplay loop can feel repetitive and monotonous due to daily chores and routine activities.
  • Some players may find the story pacing slow and the extensive dialogue overwhelming or tedious.
  • The game’s deliberate focus on grief and depression might be too heavy or triggering for some players.

  • story

    78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    37% positive mentions, 59% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The story is widely praised for its heartfelt exploration of grief, loss, and healing, set against the backdrop of pandemic isolation and family dynamics. Players appreciate its emotional, character-driven narrative that unfolds through intimate moments, video calls, and meaningful objects, creating a cozy yet poignant atmosphere. While some find the pacing slow or repetitive, the game's relatable themes and well-developed characters resonate deeply, making it a touching and memorable experience.

    • “The game had a heartfelt storyline with a good blend of cozy but spooky, drawing on the importance of having a village when grieving. I loved the puzzles, hidden gems, as well as job tasks!”
    • “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.”
    • “The story follows Alo, a young video editor who has recently relocated to a new city while dealing with the emotional aftermath of losing someone important to her.”
    • “Every day the same tasks with no plot, no progression, nothing.”
    • “A really impactful and well-constructed central story that gets drowned out a little too much by superfluous dialogue, repetitive actions, and generic secondary characters.”
    • “Linear story could have been better to connect with different characters; now they just keep popping out of nowhere.”

  • emotional

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

    The game delivers a deeply emotional and heartfelt narrative centered on grief, healing, and personal connection, portrayed through intimate, everyday moments rather than dramatic events. Its subtle storytelling, cozy atmosphere, and evocative pixel art combine to create a touching and authentic experience that resonates profoundly with players. Many highlight its ability to evoke genuine emotional responses, making it a memorable and cathartic journey.

    • “Studio and published alongside wholesome games presents, is a quiet and emotionally driven narrative game that explores grief, loneliness, healing, and personal connection through the lens of ordinary daily life.”
    • “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.”
    • “The combination of intimate writing, thoughtful atmosphere, and emotionally grounded storytelling creates an experience that quietly lingers long after it ends.”

  • gameplay

    39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    18% positive mentions, 72% neutral mentions, 10% negative mentions

    The gameplay centers on simple, repetitive daily routines and mini-games that simulate an introspective, slice-of-life experience during lockdown, focusing more on emotional storytelling than mechanical challenge. While some find the minimalist, cozy gameplay meditative and fitting for its themes, others consider it dull and lacking variety, as the loop can feel stale over time. Overall, it excels as a narrative-driven visual novel with gameplay serving primarily to immerse players in the protagonist’s everyday life.

    • “The art style is gorgeous, the soundscape is lovely, and the gameplay is the perfect amount of slice-of-life, daily chores, and heartfelt storytelling.”
    • “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 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.”
    • “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

    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    46% positive mentions, 54% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game’s graphics are widely praised for their charming, cozy pixel art style with soft, warm colors and detailed environments that create an intimate, emotionally resonant atmosphere. The visuals effectively complement the narrative tone, enhancing the heartfelt and melancholic storytelling, though some note that gameplay repetitiveness slightly detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Visually, the game presents a warm and expressive art style filled with soft colors and carefully designed environments.”
    • “The combination of pixel-inspired aesthetics and modern visual effects creates a cozy atmosphere that perfectly matches the emotional tone of the story.”
    • “The pixel art style is really well done, with beautiful colors that make the graphics both charming and expressive.”

  • music

    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    47% positive mentions, 53% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its subtle, soothing, and emotionally supportive qualities, often enhancing the reflective and intimate atmosphere. Players highlight its beautiful, relaxing, and occasionally haunting soundtrack that perfectly complements the visuals and storytelling. Overall, the music significantly enriches the game's emotional depth and aesthetic appeal.

    • “I still hum the Ecocat theme song to myself almost two months after finishing the game!”
    • “Gentle background music, environmental ambience, and long stretches of quiet all contribute to the reflective atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack rarely demands attention, instead subtly supporting emotional scenes and helping conversations feel more intimate.”

  • atmosphere

    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 67% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Users praise the game’s atmosphere for its careful blend of intimate, slice-of-life storytelling with abstract visuals, enhanced by pixel-inspired art, modern effects, and gentle sound design. The cozy, reflective ambiance supports deep emotional themes, creating a unique, lingering experience that feels both melancholy and hopeful. The deliberate pacing and cohesive integration of aesthetics, gameplay, and narrative effectively immerse players in the protagonist’s state of mind.

    • “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 combination of intimate writing, thoughtful atmosphere, and emotionally grounded storytelling creates an experience that quietly lingers long after it ends.”

  • 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 slow pacing and lightweight design.

    • “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 game's humor is both heartfelt and effective, blending laugh-out-loud moments with emotional depth. It balances themes of loss with charming and funny scenes, creating a unique and touching 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, excelling in character development and narrative depth for players who value story-driven games.

    • “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 described as repetitive and tedious, detracting from the overall experience despite the game's solid foundation and appealing art style.

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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 Venba, Undusted: Letters from the Past, Sumire, Closer the Distance, When The Past Was Around and others.