The About Fishing demo has converted another skeptic. Developer's latest build delivers on atmosphere and narrative intrigue, wrapping players in a mystery about missing persons and mermaids set against a genuinely unsettling rural landscape. Graveyards, empty streets, and churches hiding prison cells in their basements create the kind of dread that lingers.
The expanded demo improves on last year's sampler with fresh content and refined presentation. The mystery hooks immediately. Characters feel grounded. The world pulls you into its logic, even when that logic bends toward the supernatural. The writing carries weight. Dialogue doesn't waste time.
But here's the friction. The actual fishing mechanics don't match the narrative's quality. When you're reeling in catches, the game's strongest element—its mystery-box storytelling—fades into the background. Fishing becomes busywork that breaks pacing rather than enhancing it. The minigame feels tacked on, a thematic obligation rather than an integrated system. It's like the developers felt obligated to include their title activity, even when the story would benefit from cutting it entirely.
This disconnect matters for full release prospects. About Fishing positions itself as a narrative adventure where fishing is central to identity and plot. In practice, fishing interrupts the flow. The demo suggests the core game—detective work, exploration, dialogue, uncovering the mystery—carries more weight than time spent at water's edge.
Steam's fishing game market runs deep, but About Fishing targets a different audience. This is Disco Elysium territory, where mechanics serve story. The mystery mechanics work. The investigation structure works. The fishing doesn't, and that's the honest takeaway from the updated demo. It's strong enough that many players will overlook the mechanical mismatch. Others will feel frustrated by mandatory downtime between compelling scenes. The full game launches soon,