Zen Koi 2

About

Zen Koi 2 is a simulation game that follows the serene journey of a Koi as it evolves into a dragon. With its beautiful graphics, soothing soundtrack, and intriguing plot, it provides a delightful gaming experience. However, the game has its drawbacks, including excessive grinding, numerous ads, and occasional bugs that can hinder gameplay. Despite these issues, Zen Koi 2 remains a calming escape that avid gamers can enjoy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 8,057 reviews

graphics241 positive mentions

monetization216 negative mentions

graphics
339 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
28%
1%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty, vibrant colors, and soothing aesthetic, contributing to a relaxing gameplay experience. Many users highlight the fluid animations of the koi and the creative designs of the prey, enhancing the overall visual appeal. Overall, the graphics are considered a significant improvement over previous versions, making the game visually stunning and enjoyable to play.
- “The graphics and style are very nice, and I really like the different kois!”
- “The graphics are downright beautiful, and the gameplay, despite being a little repetitive, is fun.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous, the music is relaxing, and I love the variety of koi and prey as well.”
- “As others said, this makes the game unplayable as it completely ruins the calming experience in what is stated to be a 'zen' game with the inclusion of loud, startling music and visuals.”
- “The real reason I uninstalled though was the graphics.”
- “Graphics are a bit bland.”
monetization
250 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
4%
86%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players initially appreciating the minimal and optional ads for rewards. However, recent updates have introduced intrusive and forced ads that disrupt gameplay, leading to frustration among users who feel the game has shifted towards a money-grabbing model. While some players are willing to watch ads for in-game currency, the increase in mandatory ads has caused many to consider uninstalling the game or seeking a paid ad-free version.
- “But considering there are no ads, it's a small price to pay.”
- “No ads unless you want free pearls.”
- “I've been very glad this game and its previous version are very fair about the microtransactions.”
- “Came back recently and the ads are out of control.”
- “Great game that was ruined by the addition of intrusive forced ads, I played for a few years, watched the ads that I chose to get rewards, that's a good ad revenue system.”
- “This game was relaxing and the ads were not too bad, but the last update created ads you had to watch every few minutes and could not back out of, even if they were awful or you had seen the same one sixteen times.”
music
242 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
47%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and soothing qualities, enhancing the overall relaxing experience of gameplay. Many players appreciate the beautiful soundtrack, which complements the stunning graphics and tranquil atmosphere, although some express a desire for more variety in the music tracks. However, interruptions from ads and occasional jarring music changes have been noted as detractors from the otherwise serene experience.
- “The music is beautiful and the graphics are stunning.”
- “The music is calming and the colors vivid.”
- “The music is so relaxing yet not boring, the visuals of the pond and plants are so calming.”
- “As others said, this makes the game unplayable as it completely ruins the calming experience in what is stated to be a 'zen' game with the inclusion of loud, startling music and visuals.”
- “It's really irritating and unsettling when you're relaxing in the zen zone with the calm music and smooth glide of the koi and then bam you're hit with a stupid loud animated ad for some awful annoying game that you'll never ever play and now hate with an irrational passion.”
- “It's relaxing except I really would like to hear other relaxing zen music... after a while of listening to the same background music drives me nuts.”
gameplay
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
51%
8%
Overall, the gameplay is praised for its relaxing and calming nature, enhanced by beautiful graphics and soothing music. However, many users find it repetitive and occasionally tedious, with some expressing frustration over intrusive ads that disrupt the experience. Despite these criticisms, the game mechanics are considered enjoyable and complex, offering a satisfying progression for players who appreciate a more meditative gaming experience.
- “The developers did a fantastic job, and the gameplay was very rough before, but now it's super-smooth!”
- “The music is delightful, gameplay is easy, and the graphics are fantastic!”
- “No forced ads or pay-to-play/level up, and gameplay is so soothing with smooth animations and gorgeous graphics.”
- “But the gameplay is incredibly repetitive.”
- “I used to really enjoy the game, but the addition of ads popping up and preventing play in the middle of gameplay really ruins the relaxing nature of the game.”
- “Repetitive gameplay that gets boring fast.”
story
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
63%
9%
The game's story aspect is generally perceived as lacking depth, with many players noting that it primarily revolves around simple tasks like guiding koi fish and completing repetitive quests. While some appreciate the calming gameplay and beautiful graphics, there is a strong desire for a more engaging narrative and additional quests to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable but in need of a more substantial storyline to keep players invested.
- “Great graphics and story play.”
- “Beautiful and mesmerizing game that tells an incredible story.”
- “Calming music, no complicated missions, just pretty fish swimming peacefully in a quiet pond.”
- “Sorry, it's just too easy. In 1 hour, I got three dragons. There's not really a story; you just eat things and evolve them into dragons. It needs more storyline.”
- “Just the same story replayed again and again.”
- “No rules, no plot, no storyline, and absolutely no depth.”
grinding
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a significant point of contention, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming. While some enjoy the collection elements and find the gameplay fun, others feel that the grind for resources and upgrades detracts from the overall experience, often leading to frustration, especially with frequent ads. Overall, the game is described as relaxing yet excessively grindy, making it less enjoyable for those who dislike repetitive tasks.
- “Very quickly it gets more tedious than zen.”
- “It's fun gameplay but with how little space you start to store koi, grinding out fish is time consuming and tedious.”
- “You still have to raise each fish through tedious prey collecting to get each and every one to their dragon form.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
63%
Overall, user experiences with stability vary significantly; while some report no glitches and smooth gameplay, others face frequent freezing issues, particularly during ad playback, which disrupts their enjoyment. Additionally, some users encounter bugs when trying to connect with friends, indicating that stability can be inconsistent across different features of the game.
- “No ad interruptions and no glitches.”
- “No glitches, and everything runs just fine!”
- “It's okay so far; it has had little to no glitches.”
- “I want to love it, but it freezes every time an ad plays and I have to force quit the app to play, which kind of ruins it.”
- “Eating the same type of fish over and over again, breeding the same style/color fish repeatedly, and the annoying glitches have made it hard to enjoy.”
- “I really wanted to play this game, but I have been trying to make it load for the nth time. I have tried everything I read here and troubleshooting online, but it really won't work for me.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its relaxing and calming qualities, featuring beautiful visuals, atmospheric music, and a variety of fish patterns to discover. Many users appreciate how it enhances the overall experience, with some noting that it surpasses the original while maintaining its serene ambiance. Overall, the game successfully creates a peaceful and immersive environment.
- “There are a lot of fish patterns to discover, atmospheric music, beautiful visuals, and calming gameplay.”
- “Truly lives up to its relaxing atmosphere.”
- “Awesomeness really relaxing and a humble atmosphere.”
- “Peaceful atmosphere.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally soothing and therapeutic, often using it as a way to relieve stress and navigate emotional crises. The engaging mechanics, such as chasing and interacting with fish, contribute to a wholesome and enjoyable experience suitable for all ages.
- “I recommend that you should play; it helps a lot. If I am angry or in an emotional crisis, I play this to help soothe myself and relieve the stress on my mind.”
- “It's such a wholesome game that's fun for all ages.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Users express frustration with the limited replayability due to constraints on expanding egg capacity and the difficulty in acquiring enough purls. They suggest that enhancing the playability of dragons during missions could improve the overall experience.
- “Finally, the dragons are playable! :D”
- “It is too hard to get pearls to have more playable koi when your egg list is always full with no more room because there are so few pearls that you can get, and you also don't have enough pearls to expand how many eggs you can hold at once.”
- “If you could make the dragon more playable during missions that would improve the experience.”
- “Finally, the dragons are playable.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the humor in the game to be highly entertaining, with many describing it as "super funny" and enjoyable to play. The comedic elements, particularly involving the "green eye things," contribute to a lighthearted and fun gaming experience. Overall, players appreciate the humor as a key aspect that enhances their enjoyment.
- “The green eye things are funny.”
- “Super funny and fun.”
- “It's so funny to play, and it's really easy to play.”