Fishing Vacation: The Fishing Game that is not just a Fishing Game
It was recommended to me on Steam, and I love fishing games, so I went to check it out. Then realized it’s not really a fishing game. It is, however, a pretty interesting experience.
Fishing Vacation is an indie game by Teebowah Games. It was first released on itch.io, and then got a bit of an update and re-release on Steam in 2022. It was recommended to me on Steam, and I love fishing games, so I went to check it out. Then realized it’s not really a fishing game. It is, however, a pretty interesting experience.
Fishing Vacation follows your character as he is contacted by an old friend who recently received the keys to his uncle’s fishing cabin. The two of you used to visit him when you were young, and loved those vacations, but haven’t really thought about them in a while. When you first arrive at the cabin, your friend notices it is empty but doesn’t seem to care much. However, the longer the two of you are there for the weekend, the more things start to feel… off.
Fishing Vacation has both a unique style as well as the way the story unfolds. The style comes in with the “fake retro” feeling. The entire game is made to be like you are playing an old GameBoy – or, in their case, LameBoy – game. So much so that you actually see the outline of a fake handheld surrounding the play screen. With that comes old-school style pixel graphics and sounds to match.
In reality, while it does try to feel like classic GameBoy, it has some modern spit and polish, even for “fake retro,” but that’s a good thing. I think it’s important when games do the fake retro thing that they don’t lean too hard into the retro. Adding some graphics and sounds that wouldn’t have been possible on that old technology but still feel like they belong is the way to go. It reminds me a lot of Mothmen 1966in that way. It perfectly lands the retro vibe while not feeling dated.
The game also relies on the player going through the game multiple times. There are 5 endings in total, and while you can get a few of them through the use of save loading, it’s really worth replaying the game in full as many times as possible. And if that sounds like a lot, it’s not. The playthroughs will average about 20 minutes or so.
The endings are cool, and the vibe of this game is a lot of fun. It is creepy and manages to deliver solid tension. The shortness of the game does not stop it from having an impact. The endings are well-delivered, and the art is cool. The game also does a great job of creating atmosphere. From creepy whispers, a few jump scares, and just a general “something is not right” feeling that follows you throughout.
I really can’t say much more. The game is small; it’s intentionally so. It is really best to just go ahead and play through and see for yourself. It won’t be the scariest game you’ve ever played, but it manages to land a great atmosphere and got a good little shock scream from me.
It is also extremely affordable. While you’ll only put a few hours in to get every ending, and there might not be much to bring you back after that, the game is only a couple of bucks. It is easily worth the price of admission.
And while I said it wasn’t a fishing game, really… gameplay wise, it is. Your main gameplay features will be collecting worms and fishing. And it’s a fun fishing game just don’t expect a more traditional one, rather a horror game with a focus on fishing gameplay. I would highly recommend playing with a controller, though.
So, bottom line? I know this is short and sweet, but then so is the game… well, maybe not sweet. If you like creepy games and fake retro, do it. I had a lot of fun with this game, and it’s not too long nor too expensive. It’s a nice little horror game especially in a world starting to get filled with more and more long experiences. I greatly enjoyed it and hope the developers have more games coming out.
Comments ()