Fishkeeper Is the Self-Care Aquarium Simulator the New Year Needs - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Fishkeeper Is the Self-Care Aquarium Simulator the New Year Needs - CBR - Comic Book Resources


Fishkeeper Is the Self-Care Aquarium Simulator the New Year Needs - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Posted: 18 Jan 2021 04:42 PM PST

Sometimes the right games don't include long narratives and intricate, novel mechanics, but instead offer players exactly what they've been missing. Fishkeeper gives players the chance to design an aquarium and care for fish -- a soothing, iterative task that is the perfect distraction from the many stressors of the current world. The game may not offer a robust story mode or many victory conditions, but Fishkeeper provides a calming sense of play that may just be what many need right now.

Fishkeeper is an aquarium builder sim that gives players a chance to design their ideal fish habitat and then care for the animals they've brought into this digital world. It's an unexpected combination of economic strategy and design that invites different playstyles and audiences into its aquarium world. Players can also dive into the tanks they create in a bathyscaphe, touring their designs as if they themselves were fish, providing another level of play.

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Fishkeepers aquarium view

Aquariums can be expensive, which Fishkeeper models well. Players must pay for each cubic foot of aquarium space, as well as all of the individual components. Not only do fish cost money, but so do the rocks and plants that help make a tank more interesting to watch. Even the necessary mechanical tools, like thermometers and lights, cost money. This Tycoon-esque element provides one type of play in Fishkeeper, requiring players to balance their aquarium dreams with their in-game wallets.

One of the most soothing components of Fishkeeper, however, is what players can do with the aquarium components they've purchased. Designing the look and feel of a tank -- from the type of fish down to the tchotchke decorations that set the scene -- is a cathartic moment of simple, small design. The focus on tiny details not only helps produce a good looking aquarium, but can be a calming process in its own right, asking players to slow down and methodically move through coral placement and rock design.

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While the process of designing an aquarium offers some much needed calm, watching the tank after its been populated offers its own soothing charm. Players can observe their tank in the traditional style, but also travel inside it in a miniaturized submarine. This provides players with the opportunity to explore the aquarium they've created in more detail. Watching and caring for their fish in this way becomes a contemplative, meditative act.

Fishkeeper is developed and published by Blinkclick Games. The initial PC release is slated for late 2021, with console ports available some time later. With its different playstyles and general calming aesthetic, Fishkeeper feels like the right game for difficult times. An emphasis on extended care and beautiful creations lend it a healing feel that can't come soon enough.

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