Lightfish

About

Lightfish is an arcade game where you control a small fish navigating the ocean deep, drawing lines to destroy monsters while avoiding contact with enemies. With classic gameplay enhanced by unique features, it offers two modes, original soundtrack, and 45 levels with 10 enemy types. The game encourages replayability with score challenges, featuring a distinct graphic style and creating an immersive, colorful underwater world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 104 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Lightfish is a beautifully designed modern take on the classic arcade game Qix, featuring enjoyable gameplay and a relaxing soundtrack.
The game offers a good amount of content for its price, with multiple modes and levels that provide a satisfying challenge for casual gamers and achievement hunters.
It works well on various platforms, including the Steam Deck, making it accessible for players looking for a quick and fun gaming experience.

The game is relatively short, taking only 2-5 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content after finishing.
Some players have reported issues with controls and mechanics, including a lack of precision and occasional crashes during longer play sessions.
The visuals can be overstimulating for some, with flashy graphics that may hinder gameplay rather than enhance it, leading to a less enjoyable experience.

gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
63%
10%
The gameplay of Lightfish revolves around taking control of the board while avoiding enemies and obstacles, reminiscent of classic titles like Qix and Fortix. While the game introduces new mechanics and maintains a polished aesthetic, some players feel that the increasing difficulty primarily comes from clutter rather than innovative challenges. Overall, it offers a fun and engaging experience for fans of the genre, despite some criticism regarding its flashy graphics and control mechanics.
- “What differentiates this one is that it has a lot of polish, and new gameplay mechanics to keep it interesting.”
- “Lightfish is basically a much more nicely designed and aesthetically pleasing game than the flash game ever was, but with the same basic gameplay mechanics (and a few new interesting ones at higher levels).”
- “These are but a few of the innovative mechanics that Lightfish has to help separate itself from the pack and provide a fresh experience among Qix-inspired titles.”
- “Basically, it's full of substanceless flashy graphics which actually hinder gameplay instead of enhancing it.”
- “More enemies get introduced pretty fast, but their mechanics are pretty limited, and the way the difficulty increases is by making everything a lot more cluttered.”
- “I think that the Fortix games on an easy difficulty setting are easier than this game because the controls and game mechanics are better.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The graphics of Lightfish are characterized by vibrant, flashy vector visuals reminiscent of 1980s arcade games, appealing to fans of retro aesthetics. However, some players find the visuals to be overstimulating and distracting, hindering gameplay rather than enhancing it. While the design is praised for its aesthetic appeal, the lack of depth in features and gameplay mechanics leaves some players wanting more.
- “Light Fish is basically a much more nicely designed and aesthetically pleasing game than the flash game ever was, but with the same basic gameplay mechanics (and a few new interesting ones at higher levels).”
- “It's Qix, but dressed up in fancy vector-looking graphics and set in a computerized aquatic environment.”
- “The graphics are pretty nice and although it isn’t that long of a game, it’s still a good time waster.”
- “I felt that it was visually overstimulating, with too many flashy graphics making it difficult to see everything that's going on.”
- “Basically it's full of substanceless flashy graphics which actually hinder gameplay instead of enhancing it.”
- “It's Qix, but dressed up in fancy vector-looking graphics and set in a computerized-looking aquatic environment.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
6%
19%
The music in the game is generally praised for its beauty and soothing qualities, with many players appreciating the zen soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. While some describe it as reminiscent of old-school Amiga mod music, others find it to be a perfect fit for the game's trippy visuals and addictive puzzles. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect, though opinions vary on its uniqueness.
- “I love Qix, trippy visuals and good soundtracks, and this game is all three in one!”
- “Addictive puzzle game with a zen soundtrack which soothes the soul.”
- “Great soundtrack too.”
- “I thought the music was okay, although it's very much Amiga old school mod music.”
- “I thought the music was okay, although it's very much Amiga old school mod music.”
- “I thought the music was okay, although it's very much Amiga old school mod music.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
50%
38%
The game offers some replayability primarily through the ability to improve personal best times; however, many users express doubt about the overall enjoyment factor in replaying the game.
- “The game has some replayability as you can come back and try to beat your old times.”
- “The game has some replayability as you can come back and try to beat your old times, but I am not sure there is a lot of enjoyable replayability here.”
- “The game has some replayability as you can come back and try to beat your old times, but I am not sure there is a lot of enjoyable replayability here.”
- “The game has some replayability as you can come back and try to beat your old times, but I am not sure there is a lot of enjoyable replayability here.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game lacks any narrative elements, with no story, background, or setup provided, leaving players without context or engagement in the plot.
- “There is no story, background, or setup to the game.”