Although fishing and video games seem like two completely different activities, many games incorporate fishing mechanics to some extent. Even when the focus of a game isn't fishing, there's still every chance that the game will have a fishing mini-game that players can choose to interact with.
But while it's easy to find games with plenty of possible fishing in it, it's much more difficult to find good games that focus on fishing and have great gameplay. Luckily, there're a few examples that prove that the great outdoors can be brought to the cosy indoors.
Dark Chronicle
Dark Chronicle, known as Dark Cloud 2 in North America and South Korea, is an obscure action JRPG that was released for the PS2 in 2002 and developed by Level-5, who is best known for series such as Professor Layton, Ni no Kuni, Yo-Kai Watch, and Inazuma Eleven. Created as a spiritual successor to Dark Cloud, the game follows deuteragonists Max and Monica as they change the past to save the future from Emperor Griffon.
While the plot is fairly similar to most JRPGs, the gameplay is extremely unique with plenty of different things for players to do, which includes building towns, inventing things, playing golf, and, of course, fishing. Besides being able to catch and eat various kinds of fish, players can also raise fish in aquariums, sign them up for fishing contests, and have them compete in fish races.
Stardew Valley
Since its release in 2016, Stardew Valley is often considered one of the best farm sim RPGs ever created. Inspired by iconic simulation JRPGs such as Harvest Moon and Rune Factory, the game follows a customizable protagonist as they leave their job in the city to start a new life on their late grandfather's farm in Stardew Valley.
Besides planting crops and raising cattle, players will need to explore the area, interact with townspeople, fight monsters, mine rocks, cook meals, craft items, and spend some time fishing. While players either love or hate the fishing mini-game, nobody can deny that fishing is an integral part of the game and that there's a wide range of unique fish. There're even some legendary Stardew Valley fish most players never discover.
Boku no Natsuyasumi
Boku no Natsuyasumi, or My Summer Vacation, is a series of relaxing adventure games about a young boy who stays with his relatives in the countryside during his summer vacation. Throughout the summer break, the boy explores the nature-filled scenery, talks with the locals, and uncovers secret locations. Except for the Nintendo 3Ds spin-off title, Attack of the Friday Monsters!, the entire series has never been released outside of Japan.
Since the focus of the game is to experience simple childlike exploration in a vibrant world players wish they could live in, the gameplay mostly consists of walking to different beautiful locations and interacting with various items in the environment. But the games do feature one major reoccurring gameplay mechanic: fishing. After the first game was delayed just so the developers could add fishing, this activity has become a major staple of this series.
Cat Goes Fishing
Despite the simple cartoonish art style, Cat Goes Fishing is a surprisingly in-depth fishing game about a cat's journey to becoming a master fisher-cat. At the start of the game, the cat begins on a small island with a basic rod. But as the cat completes quests and gains money, the player is able to unlock boats, find hats that impact the gameplay when worn, and upgrade and customize the rods.
Throughout the game, players will encounter many different types of fish that all have unique behaviors that players will need to learn in order to catch them. Once the cat has the equipment that can reach the fish at the bottom, players will discover some frightening creatures lurking in the depths.
Kawa no Nushi Tsuri
Known as River King or Harvest Fishing internationally, Kawa no Nushi Tsuri is a series of fishing JRPGs that began in 1990 and were developed by many of the same people who would later work on the Story of Seasons series. Even though there are seven mainline titles and multiple spin-offs, only four of the mainline titles have been released internationally, which includes the latest installment that released in 2007 for the DS: River King: Mystic Valley.
The first installment released internationally was the 1997 Legend of the River King for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. The game centers on a boy who goes on a journey to become a master fisherman so that he can catch the legendary fish that can cure his sister. Since the series perfectly mixes the towns and battles of JRPGs with the sport of fishing, it's one of the best sports RPGs.
Fishing Resort
Created by Yuji Naka, who is best known as the father of Sonic, Fishing Resort is a 2011 Wii game where the player gets to customize their own Mii-like character and go to a fishing resort. According to an interview with Siliconera, Naka wanted to create a casual fishing experience that anyone could enjoy —and he succeeded. Fishing Resort is mostly just a relaxing game where players explore the large island, talk to the NPCs, shop at stores, and catch some fish.
Throughout the game, players can encounter and possibly catch 216 different species of fish. To fish in this game, the Wii Remote acts as the rod and the Nunchuk acts as the reel.
Rapala Fishing: Pro Series
Since real-life Rapala lures are considered to be some of the best in the world, it's no surprise that the Rapala Fishing game series has some of the best fishing video games. The latest and best installment in the series, Rapala Fishing: Pro Series, released in late 2017 for the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.
After customizing their own character, players can choose between doing some relaxing solo fishing, competing in tournaments, or completing daily challenges. There are also several locations to choose from that all have nice graphics and atmosphere, and the online component helps the game last longer.
Moonglow Bay
Released towards the end of 2021 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, Moonglow Bay is an indie fishing RPG with gorgeous visuals, a beautiful soundtrack, and an emotionally powerful story. Three years after the disappearance of their partner at sea, the player character, with the help of their child, decides to fulfill their partner's dream of revitalizing the town.
To do this, players will have to explore the area, talk to townspeople, complete various quests, cook meals, catch plenty of fish, and even defeat some bosses. At the start of the game, players can choose their appearance and their pronouns, and a second player can join after the tutorial.
Sega Bass Fishing
Originally released for arcades in 1997, Sega Bass Fishing has remained one of the most in-depth and fun fishing games even all these years later, which is why it received two sequels and has been ported to multiple consoles. In this game, the player simply competes in four tournaments to become a master at bass fishing.
But while the premise is simple, the gameplay is incredibly complex. There are fourteen different lures and depending on the location, weather, and time of day, the fish will behave differently, which means players will need to learn which lures and techniques will work the best for multiple scenarios.
Fishing Planet
Released in 2015, Fishing Planet is a free-to-play first-person multiplayer fishing sim that's available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Considered to be one of the most realistic fishing games ever made, players can spend hundreds of hours catching over 170 unique species of fish using a wide variety of realistic equipment within multiple life-like environments.
Since the game is trying to be realistic as possible, it may seem tedious and even boring for players who aren't a fan of the real-life sport. But for those that are patient, enjoy the thrill of successfully catching a fish, and want a challenging fishing game that has plenty of different modes to choose from, this game is a perfect fit.