In the world of casual gaming, “Webfishing” has cast its net and hooked an audience seeking something low-pressure yet full of charm. Released in October, the game has quickly earned an “Overwhelmingly Positive” status on Steam and drawn in a loyal fanbase attracted by its simplicity and gameplay. I only caught wind of “Webfishing” when I was suddenly buried under a deluge of messages from multiple friends begging me to buy it. They were like salesmen running through their pitches. “You can drink beer,” “There are puns when you catch fish,” and the most important point of all: “It’s only five dollars!!!” The last was the most compelling. I gave in.
The atmosphere immediately caught my attention when I first loaded onto the server. The art style is reminiscent of a low-poly “Animal Crossing,” with simple shapes, old-school graphics, and muted colors. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to games dominated by vibrant palettes and dense and often overwhelming environments. For your avatar, you can choose between an anthropomorphic cat or dog. I chose the dog, obviously, but the cat model is also adorable.
At its core, “Webfishing” is about fishing, but with some twists. Players cast their lines into different bodies of water — lakes, oceans, waterfalls — pulling up everything from sawfish the size of buildings to “unidentified” creatures with the body of a fish but the head of a dog. The mechanics are simple: click and wait. When a fish snags the line, you have to play a small mini-game to reel it in. It took me a few tries to understand it completely, but all you have to do is hold your mouse button down and occasionally mash it to get through several “walls” in the meter. It’s very generous with the timing and hard to mess up – the only time when it’s truly difficult is with the rarer fish. This simplicity makes it easy to jump into the game and is certainly a relief from other games with headache-inducing fishing mechanics (cough, cough, Stardew Valley).
What elevates the gameplay is the humor woven throughout. With each catch, a dialogue box pops up with a pun or joke squeezed into it, most of them cheesy but in an endearing way. You can also earn and buy titles with in-game currency, such as “Just a Little Guy” or simply “:3.” Most of these titles cost $75, except for the “Straight” title, which costs $99,999, of course.
Another aspect I find amusing is how every time you reel in a fish, your character holds it up for everyone to see – and the size scaling is hilariously exaggerated. It just gets me every time I see my friend pull in a massive fish that takes up half the screen while, at the same time, I catch a fish that’s one pixel small. These small features add a layer of playful personalization that I thoroughly enjoy.
One of the standout features of “Webfishing,” however, is its social aspect. Players can easily invite friends to join them on their island. The chat system is straightforward and every time you say something, your avatar lets out small chirping noises — again, like the talking sound effects in “Animal Crossing.” You can also join random lobbies, and, from what I have heard from my friends, everyone is welcoming. There are also many items that you can use to interact with players, such as punching gloves, chalk, and instruments.
While I have only played on a private island with my partner, I can attest that is the perfect backdrop for casual conversation. We spent hours combing through random topics while catching fish, jumping on mushrooms, and blowing our in-game money on different cosmetics.
There are a lot of cosmetics, which is always a good sign, as someone who loves to customize their avatar. But while the current selection is impressive, I think there’s even more room for variety. There are flannels, shirts, pants, and even a lab coat… but what about some dresses? Bows? Where’s my service for the femme girlies?! Currently, I am forced to wear a “Man, I love Fishing!” T-Shirt, but maybe in a future update I can finally put my avatar in a skirt.
And, on a similar note, as endearing as the dog and cat avatars are, they feel like a missed opportunity for greater diversity. The “Animal Crossing”-like style seems perfectly suited to a broader range of animals — why not include other species like foxes, rabbits, or birds? There already exists a model for the fox — the NPC that buys your fish and sells you bait is a fox — so it should not be too hard to rework the model into a playable character. The lack of species variety feels like a limitation, especially in a game that encourages self-expression. However, again, this game is still being updated, so perhaps there will be more in the future.Overall, I really enjoyed the game. If you want a game that combines goal-oriented gameplay and casual socialization, “Webfishing” is a strong contender. Its relaxing atmosphere, easy-to-learn mechanics, and charming humor make it a standout in the casual gaming genre, particularly amidst the growing wave of cozy farming games. Some players may find the gameplay loop repetitive. However, on what it sets out to do — to create a relaxing, social experience filled with personality — “Webfishing” delivers. This game proves that sometimes, the simplest experiences can be the most rewarding.
Leave a Reply