The good stuff
- Ridiculously fun co-op chaos and physics hijinks
- Tight, satisfying basic gunplay despite the jank
- Short, cheap, and strongly replayable with friends
The rage fuel
- Critical bugs can softlock progression (radar despawn / lost quest items)
- Boss difficulty and pacing spike badly for solo or small teams
- Tiny map and repetitive loop make the late game slog without new content
First impressions: charming slop that surprises you
How to Fish invents no genre-defining mechanics, it just mashes together fishing, looting, and goofy FPS combat into a compact cocktail that somehow tastes better than the sum of its parts. Multiple reviewers described the loop as “catch fish, upgrade, fight bosses” and then kept playing because the physics and weapons make every session feel unique—one minute you’re lazily casting, the next you’re launching a friend into orbit with friendly fire and calling it strategy.
The game’s strengths are obvious in co-op: proximity chat hijinks, accidental no-scopes on buddies, and emergent moments like seagulls taking away corpses create laugh-out-loud highlights that single-player rarely matches. Players repeatedly praise how the chaotic physics and weapon interactions keep runs entertaining even when the content isn’t deep.
Bugs and the softlock problem: radar, despawning items, and grief
This is the part where the charming slop bites you in the ass. Several players report a recurring radar despawn and disappearing quest items that make navigation impossible—one reviewer said they lost the radar and had to delete their save because the world was unnavigable without it. That’s not an inconvenient annoyance; it’s a progress-blocking bug that turns a ten-dollar joke into a refund-worthy irritation.
Other players documented disappearing placed objects and persistent UI/kill-message glitches that forced full server restarts mid-boss. If you plan to play a full run solo, note that these issues appear across multiple reports and can spoil an otherwise fun session.
Combat and bosses: satisfying shooting, sour difficulty spikes
Despite the goofball premise, the gunplay is frequently complimented: reviewers call reloads, shooting feel, and the tactile chaos surprisingly polished for an indie friendslop. The combat’s kinetic energy is a big reason players forgive the visual simplicity—many say shooting fish is legitimately fun.
Where the game stumbles is boss design and difficulty scaling. Multiple reviews mention bosses feeling like health sponges and island three as a major pacing wall; solo and small-party players found certain bosses frustratingly unfair or boring to slog through. The result: satisfying burst encounters, then long, tedious endurance fights that dampen momentum.
Progression, grind, and gambling: reward loops that entertain but also annoy
Progression is simple and addictive: sell fish, buy upgrades, unlock weapons, then fight the boss and move on. Many reviewers enjoyed the short, repeatable loop and the way trick shots and physics affect sale prices—catching a shiny can feel legitimately rewarding. The game keeps you engaged with small goals and cosmetic rewards, including a gambling machine that becomes a running joke among groups.
But grind complaints are real. Inventory limits, slow resource flow, and few weapons per island make the midgame feel grindy to some players. A few reviews also note that the slot/roulette systems can feel unfair or magnetized—one reviewer joked about never hitting green after 130 bets—so that gambling can shift from charming risk to enraging roulette.
Multiplayer and matchmaking: bring friends or bring patience
This game clearly shines in groups. Countless reviews call it a ‘friend slop’ classic—designed for chaos in voice chat, with emergent comedic moments like seagulls stealing dead players and the joy of accidentally shooting your teammate in the face. If you have 3–4 friends and some beer, you’ll probably have a blast.
But matchmaking is an odd omission. Several players point out there’s no effective public lobby browser, forcing you to join via Steam friends; that’s a baffling UX hole for a multiplayer-focused title making noticeable money. The lack of public lobbies turns solo players into lonely grinders and reduces organic pickup games.
Verdict and who should buy it
How to Fish is a small, brilliant mess. It’s hilarious, often mechanically fun, and perfect for groups who enjoy low-stakes chaos. The physics and shooting combine into a game that rewards improvisation, not perfection—bring friends, a mic, and a willingness to laugh at grief.
But it’s also janky, short, and can punish solo players with softlocks and thin content. Buy it on sale if you’re uncertain; pick it up full price if you have a reliable group and want a cheap, replayable co-op toy. And if you do play, make one house rule: never let Jeremy gamble with the squad’s skins.
Worth your time?
If you want a tight, polished simulation, look elsewhere. If you want a small, cheap multiplayer toy that produces legitimately hilarious emergent moments—friends accidentally no-scoping each other, seagulls stealing corpses mid-boss fight, and gambling machines that ruin lives—How to Fish is pure catnip. Best for groups who prize chaos over balance: bring voice chat, low expectations about matchmaking, and an ironclad agreement not to sell each other’s gear. Solo players can enjoy it, but several reviewers report softlocks and painfully grindy pacing without a crew. Buy on discount if you’re cautious; otherwise pick it up for a few drunken hours of mayhem with pals.