Reel-istic Fishing
I may be one of the last people to play the 2023 Playdate Community Awards Game of the Year Reel-istic Fishing, but it’s important to chronicle these things for people that don’t have a Playdate yet. Or maybe you bought some of the other 1,000-plus Playdate games available already and somehow missed this one. First off, developer Toad, the award is well-deserved. Second, let’s talk about why this game should not have been slept on so long (by me).
When the Playdate was first announced, everyone was like, “Oh, a crank, they’re just going to put a bunch of fishing games on there.” And because everyone assumed that, no one actually made one. And then here we are with one that’ll be tough to beat!
Inspired in part by Ridiculous Fishing, Reel-istic Fishing also takes bits from Stardew Valley (certain fish can only be caught at certain times), Terraria (there are special rare variants of standard fish that don’t appear too often), and Minecraft (COZY). The game starts with you – a famous fisherperson – losing everything you had to a creature from below the sea. So it’s time to pay it back by catching it, as you do. But the creature lives very far down there, and you can’t reach it with your cheap rod and line, so you get to catch what you can, turn those fish into money, and use that money to purchase better equipment to delve deeper. Understandable stuff for anyone that’s played a progress-based mobile game in the past twenty years.
There’s no time limit and no consequences for breaking a line (besides losing whatever fish were on it), but there is a constant day/night cycle, and certain fish only show up during certain times. And there are a TON of fish to catch. Did anyone catch them all yet? Or is it like a complete Atari 2600 game collection, just an impossible dream to strive for but never accomplish? You do have a book to keep track of all your catches, and the book is over 100 pages long before it gets to the credits in the back, so you’ll be working on this for a while. Luckily, if you don’t have unlimited time, there are also accessibility options like “fish are worth more,” which, like with Initial Daydream’s experience boost, are a great boon for a busy adult with many other Playdate games still to play and write about.
Each cast, you move your hook back and forth as it slowly returns to your boat, trying to grab as many fish on the way as you can. Better rods and hooks move faster and are easier to control, and they can also hold more fish. Make sure you get back to the boat before breaking your line! It will let you know when it’s right at the break point, though, and you get money bonuses for pulling the limit. Crank the crank one direction or the other to reel in faster or slower and catch more fish. After you get your load to the water’s surface, you pull too hard and all the fish fly into the air! That’s when part two of fishing starts: harpooning.
The fish you hooked will slowly fall from the sky as you take aim with the crank and shoot your harpoon at them. The more you catch on each spear, the bigger combo bonus you get, and the more fish you catch. Any you miss return to the sea. After this, you’re awarded money based on how many fish you caught, the types, and your skill with the harpoon. Collect that money to barter with Bubbles, the fish-in-disguise selling fish hunting equipment (he talks through the radio, of course). Better supplies mean you can fish deeper, hold more fish, your harpoon is faster, and your boat is better.
There are lots of secrets in every nook and cranny, and lots of things to collect to outfit your little home. You don’t HAVE to sleep, but you can if you want, to get better fish hunting conditions. Some fish only come out at night, or when it’s raining, or things like that. There’s a lot to find, and the little sparkle on a special fish variant will make you go crazy if you miss it!
Honestly, the only problem I have with this game is that I played it until my hand hurt and had to stop. I should probably get one of those Ledbetter-designed Playdate fishing rod attachments someday. That might help. Even though I beat this game, there’s still plenty of fish in the sea… and I’m ready to get back out there.
(Released August 7, 2023, on Itch and October 11, 2023, on Catalog.)