Cat Goes Fishing Review Summary

While the addictive fishing loop and pleasing graphics with boost-giving hats are engaging, the frustration of hard-to-catch fish and lack of display settings holds it back.

Addictive fishing loop: The loop of fishing, selling, and buying is addictive and simple. Players enjoy catching awesome fish and sea creatures to sell for progression.

Pleasing graphics and atmosphere: The graphics and atmosphere are pleasing and colorful, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the game. Visual appeal is a noted positive aspect.

Hats with boosts: Hats with boosts and rarities are a popular feature, adding customization and strategic elements. Players appreciate the variety and benefits they provide.

Game is very frustrating: The game is frequently described as frustrating, rage-inducing, and even compared to a simulator of loss. This negative emotional response is a common theme.

Fish are hard to catch: Many fish are difficult to catch, escaping or breaking the line, which leads to frustration. The effort required often feels disproportionate to the reward.

Fish steal bait and break lines: Fish frequently steal bait or break the line, causing players to lose money and patience. This mechanic is especially frustrating when small fish snatch bait intended for larger targets.

Quests are too difficult: Quests are often too difficult or tedious, with some players stuck on specific tasks. This can make progress feel slow and unrewarding.

Game starts too hard: The beginning of the game is hard and boring, which may discourage new players. The slow start can make it difficult to get invested.

Diverse fish collection: The game is a fishing simulation where players control a cat protagonist. It features a wide variety of fish species, including common, medium, queen, big, huge, giant, and secret fish, each with unique behaviors and special requirements to catch.

Deep progression system: The game features a comprehensive progression system. Players level up, sell fish for money, and purchase upgrades for rods, bait, lines, boats, sonar, rockets, bombs, and other items. Rod upgrades include specific parts like sinker, gauge, bomb stack, detonator, flick, and bait guard.

Realism and classic modes: The game offers two fishing modes: Classic mode, where the fish is caught immediately when the bait is taken, and Realism mode, where fish fight back and can break the line, adding tension and challenge.

Creative fishing methods: Catching fish often requires creative, puzzle-like methods or meeting specific conditions. Some fish have special requirements, making the fishing process more engaging and surprising.

Frequent game crashes: Several players experience crashes, including specific triggers like catching the largest fish or dragon fish, random crashes, and error codes. This is a significant stability issue.

Low system requirements: Players note that the game has low hardware requirements, making it accessible on a wide range of PCs.

Locked resolution settings: A player mentions that the resolution is locked, preventing them from adjusting it to their preference.

Crashes resolved for some: One player states that the game no longer has crash problems, suggesting recent fixes have improved stability for some.

Great value for price: Many players emphasize that the game offers excellent value for its price, often citing specific low costs like $7 or $8 and recommending it strongly for the content provided.

Highly recommended by many: A significant number of reviews give the game high scores like 10/10 or 5 stars, and strongly recommend it to others, calling it one of the best indie games or a hidden gem.

Relaxing and calming experience: The game is frequently described as relaxing and suitable for unwinding, with players recommending it for moments of tranquility or as a way to de-stress from more intense games.

Good for patient and persistent players: Some players note that the game requires patience and is suited for those who enjoy grinding or challenging gameplay, especially in realism mode, and recommend it for persistent players.

Appeals to cat and fishing fans: Fans of cats and fishing games find this title particularly appealing, with several reviews highlighting the combination of cat themes and fishing mechanics as a unique draw.

Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00.

Game completion: 50.0h.

Session length: 1.0h.

Endgame: 10.0h.

Cat Goes Fishing provides immediate relaxing fun but becomes frustrating due to small fish interference and expensive gear, then eventually boring after several hours. Progression through upgrades eases early frustration but does not prevent long-term tedium.

Friction: small fish stealing bait and spoiling progression; expensive one-shot mega hook that can be lost to smaller fish; fish resistance and line snapping in realism mode; initial difficulty and learning curve; boring gameplay loop after extended play.

Unlock drivers: better rod and boat upgrades; progression to new areas and fish species; unlocking larger hooks and gear.

Casual Relaxation Seeker: Slow-paced, casual fishing at own pace; enjoys the calming music and visuals; often plays in short sessions or while multitasking. Motivation: Relaxation and stress relief; a cozy escape from more intense games. Stance: buy.

Completionist Grinder: Methodical, goal-oriented; follows quests and catalog completion; willing to invest many hours and tolerate frustration to catch every fish. Motivation: Achievement hunting and full completion; the satisfaction of a 100% catalog and all achievements. Stance: buy.

Challenge Seeker: Strategic and adaptive; prefers realism mode for increased difficulty; enjoys mastering fish behavior and optimizing gear to overcome tough catches. Motivation: Challenge and mastery; the thrill of overcoming difficult fish and testing skill. Stance: buy.

External guides: The primary user complaint is the necessity of external wikis to learn how to catch fish (including secret fish) and understand upgrade mechanics, indicating a lack of in-game instructional data. This aligns with Tier 3 (The Student) and results in a score of 50.

Add secret fish catalog: Players want a dedicated section in the in-game catalog to track and display secret fish, which are currently missing from the standard collection interface.