Fishing has a long-standing presence across the world of gaming. In some spaces, its presence has made for the most popular games around, while in others, casting a rod and reel offers a welcomed reprieve from the frantic action that comprises the core of the game. Take Monster Hunter Wilds as a fine example of the latter.
In some games, however, fishing can be a core part of the experience and game loop if it’s chosen to be, and it’s then that fishing can become bite off more than it can chew in the minds of some. In a new interview, legendary indie developer Eric Barone has said that he enjoys the fishing mini-game he’s made, but admits to its difficulty.
Barone on the Much-Debated Fishing Mini-Game
Eric Barone set about creating his 2016 indie masterpiece under the guide of ConcernedApe with the aim of making the mechanics accessible, simple, but fun. In the life sim Stardew Valley, you have many routes to earning cash and moving up in the world, whether it be farming, dungeon-crawling, or fishing.
The fishing is very straightforward and intuitive, only requiring one button to press to cast and then react with to reel in the catch. It’s balanced to the other tasks while also being both rewarding and intriguing through its randomness. Still, it’s impossible to overlook the grumbles from many players.
Barone has certainly heard this – as he is well-known for his communications with his game’s community – but in an interview with PC Gamer, he said “I like Stardew Valley’s fishing mini-game,” which he notes is controversial. As many will have experienced with a bamboo pole, he does say that his one regret is that it “starts out too hard.”
In the piece, Barone discusses what he thinks may have been a better course of developing the fishing mini-game. That could have involved starting easy and amping-up the difficulty with more challenging fish and a shorter bar, for example. Still, he stands by his fishing mini-game, and at the very least, it is a unique experience.
Fishing Games and Mini-Games that Landed Well
If there’s one part of gaming that’s proven to be incredibly receptive to fishing it’s in iGaming. At online casinos, Big Bass Bonanza has become the most popular series around. Spawning from the original by Reel Kingdom, there are now over ten games in the series to meet demand, with all of them boasting the hit fish-catching feature.
Of course, those are games that are entirely engrossed in the fishing theme, and while there are some other admirable entries to this in video gaming, like Fishing Planet, many of the best games with an infusion of fishing have more going on – especially in terms of story – like Barone’s creation does.
One of the more recent hits in this regard was the rather Lovecraftian Dredge game. Fishing is the core loop, but you’ve also got to evade abyssal terrors, grow fishing villages, and find collectibles. Other indie hits worth checking out for their use of fishing would be Sea Fantasy, Fishing Paradiso, Luna’s Fishing Village, and the expansive stone-age farming sim Roots of Pacha.
Overall, Barone doesn’t need to worry if his fishing mini-game didn’t land as well as many others have because the rest of the game is widely considered to be excellent or better. Still, seeing as he’s noted its potential flaws, perhaps the ever-committed developer will create a new fishing mechanic in an update to come.