Fish to Dish: Idle Sushi Review (PC)

Idle Waters; Gone Fishing; Cast n Chill; and Fish to Dish: Idle Sushi. That’s four rods, four pieces of bait, and four times I’ve cast a line out this week. Suffice it to say, idle fishing games, or just fishing games, in general, are becoming increasingly common in the indie gaming scene, and I’m not entirely sure if I’m all for the idea of replacing the go-to idle restaurant schematic for an idle fishing one or not. I suppose, a pairing of the two kills two birds with one stone in most cases. The latter choice, Fish to Dish: Idle Sushi, seems to know this all too well, too, given that it seamlessly blends the best of both idle fields into one desktop-based concoction of fishing, serving, and upgrading. It doesn’t fill a gap in the market — but it’s a formula that we at least know works.

Fish to Dish: Idle Sushi isn’t leaps and bounds ahead of its counterparts, though it isn’t exactly a stone’s throw from being the worst idle game on Steam, either. There’s middle ground here, with half of me gravitating towards the notion that it’s a shameless attempt to instill fresh DNA into a dated concept, and the other half of me hovering over the conclusion that it is also a much better, more refined version of an idle game. Either way, I can’t say that Fish to Dish is a new thing; it’s one of hundreds, perhaps even thousands. Does that make it any less worthy of being able to share the pond with its cousins? Not at all, no. But let’s take a closer look, if not to secure a definitive answer on which one is better, then to pay respects to IndieArk and Kygua Tech’s love letter to fishing.

Sushi on Demand

It’s easy to mistake Fish to Dish as “just another idle clicking game about catching fish” — and for good reason, too. From the outside looking in, you could argue that it’s the same thing, only with a minor bump in its setting and a reskin of a different business. And you’d be half correct there, too, seeing as, with all due respect, there isn’t a huge difference between this and Idle Waters. Similarly, the game features swathes of aquatic upgrades with which you can use to locate better species of fish and deluxe variations of bait, as well as an array of restaurant options that you can alter and customize to suit your tastes. There’s decor, furnishings, and all sorts of ingredients for you to choose from, too, with a rather generously sized bestiary for you to both expand and dip into to create mouth-watering delicacies for your customers.

At the heart of Fish to Dish is a simple process that doesn’t require a great deal of effort to comprehend. Like a lot of other tidal tycoon games, you venture out in your trusty boat to a dockside, isle, or a mysterious pocket out in the deep blue, equip your bait, and pull whatever creatures that wind up in your net. All of this tends to happen in a simple, stress-free manner, with the game requiring little of you to endure the best possible outcome. There’s a little input involved, for sure, but for the most part, it’s merely the case of watching the stockpile evolve, and your bestiary grow. After that, it’s really the case of selling your fish, earning coins, and then using said coins to purchase better upgrades for your business. There’s a bit of deja vu here — but it works.

Dockside Delicacies

With a sizable bestiary to foster and a quality selection of areas to explore, you could quite easily lose dozens of hours to the nautical graft in Fish to Dish. It’s an ideal back burner ordeal, all things considered, with a simple yet effortlessly addictive gameplay loop that can easily keep you hooked for hours. Of course, I wouldn’t expect much gameplay-wise, what with it being an idle game with only a select number of things for you to do and a limited amount of buttons to work with. Even still, where Fish to Dish falls short of interactive content, it makes up for in its ability to cast  a net over a vibrantly drawn locale and a lot of species for you to unlock and brings to the table.

To say that Fish to Dish is predictable wouldn’t be entirely accurate, though as with most idle games, you sort of know what to expect before applying the bait to reel in the endgame rewards. Truthfully, not a lot is different in that regard, and so, if you’re after a fishing expedition that’ll keep you on tenterhooks for days on end, then you might struggle to find satisfaction in the relatively dull process of, well, bringing fish to the dish.

Verdict

At this moment in time you’re almost spoilt for choice, what with the likes of Steam (along with most prolific marketplaces, for that matter) housing dozens upon dozens of idle games of a similar design. Even still, if you’re the sort of gamer who enjoys dabbling in side projects and alternate waters alongside your primary interests, then you’re probably going to enjoy having Fish to Dish submerged at the bottom of your screen whilst you tend to more pressing matters elsewhere. As for whether or not it’s the better choice of the two, three, or thirty-eight in the same category is another question. Though, from what I’ve come to learn over the past week, the vast majority of them have similar tastes in design, functionality, and playability. The point is, if you enjoy one, then you’ll probably enjoy the rest. A short-changed answer, but one that also rings true.

Of course, there are several things that set Fish to Dish apart from its adversaries, the most notable being its inclusion of a restaurant-based activity that allows you the flexibility of alternating between lanes and dabbling in both ends of the water at any point during your journey, so to speak. Gameplay-wise, it’s still the same thing, with frequent prompts or the occasional click contributing to the fulfillment of your pledge to accrue fish and stock out a digital aquarium. Nevertheless, for what it is—an idle game with a whole lot of heart—there’s plenty here for you to fall in love with here.