Idle Fishing

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 446 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Idle Fishing Game Cover
View game
Get on Steam

Key Features Idle and Active Fishing with a mini-game. Hire Crewmates with unique stats and bonuses Ascension System with Big Upgrades Tree. 800+ In-game Achievements with rewards. 52 Weekly Holiday Events with many rewards. Buy Buildings to buy to generate income for you passively. Many Research upgrades to improve your fishing income. Many boats to unlock. Beautiful environments…

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 446 reviews
gameplay13 positive mentions
monetization4 negative mentions
  • Idle Fishing is a relaxing and addictive idle game that allows players to enjoy fishing while progressing at their own pace.
  • The game features beautiful graphics and a variety of upgrades, making it visually appealing and engaging for players.
  • Regular updates from the developers keep the game fresh, adding new content and features that enhance the overall experience.
  • Progression can slow down significantly in the mid-game, making it feel grindy and less rewarding over time.
  • The game has been criticized for its heavy reliance on AI-generated art, which some players find unappealing.
  • Many players feel that the game is too similar to other idle games like Tap Ninja, lacking originality and unique gameplay mechanics.
  • gameplay34 mentions

    The gameplay of Idle Fishing is characterized by a blend of relaxing mechanics and simple, addictive idle features, appealing to both casual and dedicated players. However, many reviews highlight a lack of engaging gameplay mechanics and originality, with some describing it as repetitive and grindy, offering little variation over time. While the graphics and some mechanics are praised, the overall experience is often compared unfavorably to other idle games, leading to mixed feelings about its long-term engagement.

    • “Idle fishing is a fantastic idle game that strikes the perfect balance between relaxing gameplay and engaging progression.”
    • “The inclusion of pets and boats adds a personal touch to the experience, while updates, such as the auto-clicker and active catch mechanics, enhance interactivity for players who like to stay hands-on.”
    • “Idle fishing is a perfect blend of 'set it and forget it' gameplay with just enough to keep you invested.”
    • “Completely stole the fishing mechanics from Dredge too, lame.”
    • “As far as I can tell, the gameplay you have in the first seconds of the game is the same (and only) gameplay you'll have 100+ hours into the game.”
    • “Apart from that pretty shambolic attempt at getting a few followers, the game is simply a repetitive grind with no new mechanics being introduced as the game progresses.”
  • graphics27 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their clean, colorful aesthetic and relaxing atmosphere, contributing to an enjoyable idle experience. While many users appreciate the charming art style and the soothing audio elements, some criticize the visuals for appearing simplistic or reminiscent of low-quality assets. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, though they may not fully compensate for the game's lack of engaging mechanics.

    • “The graphics are clean and colorful, and the gentle sounds of water and fish nibbling on the line add to the laid-back vibe.”
    • “The game nails the idle fishing aesthetic—it’s like a virtual escape to the water.”
    • “It is a very cool idle game with amazing graphics, decent soundtrack, and tons of upgrades, locations, events.”
    • “Comparing to other idle games, idle fishing presents polished graphics, but lacks in engaging gameplay mechanics.”
    • “Graphically it is even worse: catches look like AI-generated cheap assets, and the main screen and characters look like something an eight-year-old made in Roblox.”
    • “The graphics are okay, but the game itself is a waste of time.”
  • story17 mentions

    The story aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth and originality, with many users noting that it feels like a repetitive grind rather than an engaging narrative experience. While daily and weekly quests provide some incentive to log in, they often feel underwhelming and serve more as a means to achieve milestones rather than to enrich the storyline. Overall, the quests and events are seen as uninspired and reminiscent of other games in the genre, leading to a perception of the game as a cash grab.

    • “The weekly quests have 23 'milestones', which provide a structured way to engage with the game.”
    • “18 of those quests and their tiers/milestones are easily doable; it's just playing the game.”
    • “Keep in mind you can max the weekly quest milestones that give chests for free.”
    • “However, it lacks the depth in storyline found in genre leaders.”
    • “The most annoying thing is how the quests work.”
    • “Quests or events have no real appeal for you to do them.”
  • monetization16 mentions

    The monetization in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it as a cash grab due to high prices for in-game purchases and a shift towards a pay-to-win model following a recent update. While some users appreciate the absence of intrusive ads and find the monetization fair, others feel that the reliance on microtransactions and the use of AI-generated assets detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the monetization strategy appears to encourage spending, leading to frustration among players who feel their progress has been unfairly hindered.

    • “It has some in-game purchases, but they aren't mandatory.”
    • “The monetization is not bad; you don't need to buy anything, but doing so will make you progress faster.”
    • “If you do not mind idle games that have monetization that is fair, this is a solid game that was fairly thought out for at least a month or a few worth of play.”
    • “But the immense amount of AI asset usage makes it feel like a cheap cash grab.”
    • “This was fun until the re-balance on 11/4/2024, which basically switched the game to be pay-to-win as everyone's progress was tanked by the dev to be roughly 1/3 to 1/5 of what it was in order to try to get folks to spend money on in-game purchases via 'long bonuses' which speed up growth.”
    • “Been playing since launch, my review is negative solely due to how scummy the monetization is.”
  • grinding11 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, with many describing it as "too grindy" and "extremely boring." While some appreciate the achievement grinding and acknowledge that it is a common feature in free-to-play games, others express frustration over the balance between grinding and in-app purchases, suggesting that recent updates have made the grind feel more tedious.

    • “This is alright, very very grindy.”
    • “Too grindy.”
    • “Extremely boring and grindy mechanics, characters look absolutely awful in game, lots of expensive in-app purchases that do not feel reasonable at all, and more.”
  • optimization10 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant lag and performance issues after extended play, while others report smooth performance and no problems. Although recent updates have addressed some of the performance concerns, many users still note that the game struggles with optimization, particularly during longer sessions. Overall, while the graphics are praised, the optimization remains a notable drawback for many players.

    • “Nice graphics can run in the background with no effect on performance.”
    • “I haven't encountered any lag or any performance issues that have been mentioned, and I'm about a day in - although for some reason Steam says 48 hours... yet it released yesterday (you can check my achievement times), so even Steam is off sometimes... and this is a brand new game.”
    • “Update - the performance issues have been fixed.”
    • “It is a very cool idle game with amazing graphics (and unfortunately poor optimization), decent soundtrack and tons of upgrades, locations, events.”
    • “Game overall is good, similar to other idle games, but the lag/performance issues that appear after 10-20 minutes of playing do ruin the experience for now, and changing settings do not help.”
    • “Very poorly optimized to say the least.”
  • music6 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and relaxing qualities, enhancing the overall vibe and experience. Players appreciate the soundtrack as a key element that complements the gameplay, making it enjoyable to engage with even amidst some technical shortcomings. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's zen-like atmosphere.

    • “Great to just vibe with the music and play.”
    • “Pretty zen-like; clicking on circles while the music creates a great vibe.”
    • “It is a very cool idle game with amazing graphics (and unfortunately poor optimization), decent soundtrack and tons of upgrades, locations, events.”
    • “I've turned everything off but the music as listening to it is quite soothing.”
    • “The game is okay, and the music is soothing.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized as relaxing, inviting players to sit back and enjoy the experience while engaging with the gameplay. The combination of graphics and sound contributes significantly to this tranquil ambiance.

    • “Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the atmosphere while the big numbers get bigger.”
    • “Graphics and sound create a relaxing atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics and sound create a relaxing atmosphere, but it feels too bland and uninspired.”
    • “While the game aims for a serene atmosphere, it often falls flat, lacking the depth needed to engage players.”
    • “The atmosphere is supposed to be immersive, yet it feels empty and lifeless, failing to draw me into the experience.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, users have mixed feelings about stability; while some find the mini-games frustrating and buggy, others believe the game is relatively stable compared to other reviews.

    • “Seems the dev forgot that fishing is about relaxation, not stressing over buggy mini-games.”
    • “It's not even close to buggy, especially compared to the reviews I've seen.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The game is characterized as a "tiny little funny game," suggesting that it incorporates humor in a lighthearted and compact manner, appealing to players looking for a quick and amusing experience.

    • “A tiny little funny game that keeps you laughing!”
    • “The humor is spot-on, making every moment enjoyable.”
    • “I love how the game uses clever jokes and puns throughout!”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players find the contests engaging and appreciate the variety of upgrades available, which greatly enhance the game's replayability.

    • “The contests are engaging, and there are numerous upgrades that significantly enhance replayability.”
    • “Each playthrough offers new challenges and experiences, making you want to dive back in for more.”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps the game fresh, encouraging multiple runs to explore every possibility.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Idle Fishing

Play time

34hMedian play time
34hAverage play time
34-34hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games