I have a bit of a complicated relationship with the more causal simulator kind of games. A lot of the time I tend to be pretty mixed with them. There are some I really enjoy a lot like Stardew Valley, but it’s an example of a game I wouldn’t really play much alone. I did enjoy a bit of Rune Factory and Harvest Moon, but again, I tend to fall out of them pretty fast. Then there are some games like Animal Crossing that I’ve put hundreds of hours into multiple installments.
While I can’t say much about how long I’ll stay addicted to it. I am absolutely in love with Webfishing. I’ve been playing the game for about two weeks as of writing this, and it’s been wonderful. I knew the game was popular, but I didn’t really get what the appeal was from the outside. I thought there had to be something else to the game besides just fishing. While people do like fishing games, I doubted that would be enough to carry the experience, but I was very wrong. But also not wrong.
The Fishin’
I’ve come to really enjoy games of simple concepts these days. I think when a game knows exactly what it wants to do and goes after it is charming, especially when it’s something so simple like fishing. Fishing is generally always a minigame in larger games. You might fish to get a heart piece in Zelda, or grab some random side item that helps your journey. And when fishing is the focus, it’s normally on games that go super in depth. Webfishing isn’t either.
Webfishing just throws you into an island, either with friends, strangers or by yourself. It’s just you, your rod, the fish, and the open seas. Or open lakes and rivers and void. You get the point. Animal Crossing is obviously a big inspiration for this game and the overall aesthetic, but it still does have a bit of a different vibe. All objectives are your own. You just fish and enjoy yourself.
There are some other stuff around the map you can do. There’s little scavenger hunts to get different rods or cosmetics. customizing your character or collecting all the titles is quite the journey but can help give you direction. You can play some songs. Webfishing is a game without much to do, really, but it’s in that openness that you can enjoy the experience. If you want to collect everything, it would probably take hundreds of hours because of all the types and variety of fish. You can if you want, but you can also just vibe.
The game can be played solo, but I do feel it’s best as a multiplayer experience. Something Webfishing does amazing is the types of fish you can find. There are different types that can have different attributes and sizes. It really makes every fish feel unique and will make you want to keep some to show off. Especially because of how insane the difference in sizes can be. You can have a tiny large whale or a tiny shrimp, or a huge shrimp that you can barely see. It’s charming, and finding these little fish and showing them to others is a big joy in the game.
The game is just a vibe. We all need a little more chill in our lives, and games like these are important for that. I can see why everyone is playing it, and I continue to be very happy that so many small indie games keep taking off with people. In a world where games consistently try to milk our wallets, it’s nice that people enjoy little games where you can just relax, chat with other and catch some fish.
