How to Fish: The $7.99 Co-Op Hit That Blew Up Overnight

What Is It?

You and your friends get drunk on a boat, crash into a small island, and now you're broke and stranded. The only way home is to fish — except "fish" in this case means yanking creatures out of the water and shooting them with increasingly ridiculous weapons for cash. That's the whole pitch, and it works way better than it has any right to.

Developed by Dazed Games, a two-person indie studio out of Skövde, Sweden, How to Fish launched on August 20, 2026 and immediately exploded. We're talking 260,000+ peak concurrent players in its first few days — numbers that put it in the same conversation as some of the biggest Steam launches of the year. As of late August 2026 it's sitting at 95% positive across 6,183 reviews.

The gameplay loop sounds simple on paper: catch something, kill it, sell it, buy better gear, move to the next island. But the physics engine makes every single step of that process unpredictable in the best way. You're not just casting a line — you're launching a fish into the air, doing a 360-spin, and hip-firing a shotgun at it mid-flight for bonus money. That's not a rare highlight. That's normal gameplay.

There are five islands to work through — Lighthouse, Forest, Desert, Rocks, and Volcano — each with its own fish species, quests, and a boss fight you need to beat to unlock the next area. The bosses range from a charging Spider Crab on the first island to a lava-spewing Mutated Bowhead Whale at the end, and every one of them is more of a puzzle than a raw damage check. Dodge the attack pattern, punish during the stun window, repeat.

Key Details

What Works

The co-op is genuinely hilarious. The physics engine creates stories you'll be retelling on Discord for weeks — someone launches a fish into orbit, another person accidentally feeds a boss their entire inventory, the boat capsizes because nobody was steering. It's the kind of emergent chaos that makes Lethal Company and Content Warning work, but here it's baked into the progression loop instead of being round-based.

The trick-shot system is the real hook. How you kill a creature matters. Launch a fish into the air, quick-scope it, land a headshot, or do a 360 no-scope — each condition stacks a Killscore multiplier on the sell price. A x5 multiplier is achievable on the starting island's weak fish with some practice, and it makes a huge difference to your income early on. This turns the simple act of fishing into an action-game skill expression that keeps the repetition from feeling stale.

Five distinct islands with unique bosses keep progression interesting. Each island has its own fish species, quest NPCs, and a boss that acts more like a puzzle than a damage sponge. The price point is absurdly low for the amount of content — $7.99 for 4–6 hours of main story plus achievements, rare variant hunting, and an optional secret boss. System requirements are minimal, too. If your PC was built in the last eight years, it'll run this.

What Doesn't

Solo play works, but the fun drops off noticeably without friends. The chaos that makes co-op memorable becomes quiet and routine when you're alone. The physics can also screw you over in frustrating ways — a prize fish bouncing off a rock straight back into the ocean, or a teammate's dynamite blast knocking your catch into the void. Friendly fire means a troll can ruin your session, and there's no way to disable it.

The late-game money grind before the final boss can feel repetitive. You need a fully-upgraded assault rifle (roughly $74,000 total including attachments) to have a reasonable shot at the Mutated Bowhead Whale, and grinding that out on the Volcano island stops being fun around hour five. There's no story to speak of — it's all gameplay, no narrative — which is fine for the price, but don't expect any emotional investment beyond "I need a bigger gun."

How to Fish Tips for New Players

1. Buy the Radar ($10) and Shotgun ($150) first. Don't waste early money on fancy rods or boat upgrades. The Radar lets you actually navigate between islands instead of sailing blind, and the Shotgun is the single best early-game weapon. It carries you through multiple islands, especially once you start upgrading its bullets. Skip the pistol entirely on a normal run.
2. Learn the Killscore system immediately. How you kill a creature matters. Launch a fish into the air, quick-scope it, land a headshot, or do a 360 no-scope — each condition stacks a multiplier on the sell price. A x5 multiplier is achievable on the starting island's weak fish with some practice, and it makes a huge difference to your income early on.
3. Never sell boss trophies to vendors. Bosses drop distinctive items — shells, skeletons, fins, heads. These are quest hand-in items, not vendor trash. Selling them by accident means you have to re-fight the boss. If an item has a weird specific name and you just killed something huge, hold onto it until you've talked to every NPC.
4. Unlock the grill on Island 3 and cook everything before selling. Killing the Blue Shark for the Grillmaster gives you access to cooking, which adds a free 1.5x multiplier to any sellable item — fish, weapons, whatever. Press F while holding an item over the grill and pull it off at 1.5x. Leave it too long and it burns to charcoal. On the Volcano island, you can use the lava itself instead of the grill.
5. Focus upgrades on one weapon, not all of them. Every weapon has four attachment slots (extended mag, laser sight, optic, muzzle). Filling all four on one gun is way more effective than spreading upgrades across three half-kitted weapons. The assault rifle is your endgame goal — build toward it with the Shotgun in the meantime.
6. Stock cooked fish before every boss fight. Cooked creatures restore more health than raw ones, so a pocket full of grilled fish doubles as your healing supply. The later bosses — especially the Whale and the final Mutated Bowhead Whale — hit hard enough that you'll burn through your food fast. Don't show up to a boss with an empty stomach.
7. Seagulls will steal your fish. If you leave a dead fish on the ground, seagulls can swoop in and grab it. Pick up or sell everything quickly. On the plus side, you can kill a seagull with dynamite (there's actually an achievement for it).

Best Weapons in How to Fish

The weapon progression goes from bare fists all the way to a fully-kitted assault rifle that costs around $20,000. Here's the short version of what matters:

• Knife / Brass Knuckles: Starting melee. Good enough for the first island's Spider Crab boss. Sharpen them at the anvil to max damage early.
• Shotgun ($150): Your first real gun and the best value in the game. Works for close-range crowd control, trick shots, and carries you through Islands 2 and 3. Upgrade its bullets as you go.
• Uzi: Mid-game boss killer. A maxed Uzi handles the Island 3 shark and Island 4 bird fights cleanly. If the recoil bothers you, switch to the Sniper Rifle instead.
• Sniper Rifle: The trick-shot weapon. Long-range, high-value airborne kills, and it's the one you want if you're chasing the 360 no-scope achievement.
• Assault Rifle (~$20,000 + ~$54,000 in attachments): The endgame gun. Fully kitted with extended mag, laser sight, scope, and suppressor, this is what you bring to the final lava whale boss. Start saving for it once the Shotgun stops one-shotting things.
• Dynamite ($25): Not a combat weapon — it'll kill you at close range. But throw it into a cluster of fish in the water and you can harvest several at once. Great for bulk fishing early on.

How to Fish Shark Guide

Sharks are a major threat and opportunity in How to Fish. Here's everything you need to know about hunting these apex predators:

Shark Species & Locations

• Blue Shark (Desert Island): Common mid-island shark, uses spiral attack patterns
• Goblin Shark (Secret Boss): Unlocked with the $5,800 Scientific Boss Lure, mini-boss encounter
• Mutated Bowhead Whale (Final Boss): Apex predator that spits lava and requires full preparation

Shark Hunting Strategies

• Weapons: Use assault rifles for consistent damage against shark tough hides
• Bait: Standard Boss Lure ($280) works for most sharks
• Health Management: Keep cooked fish inventory for quick healing during shark fights
• Timing: Sharks have attack patterns - learn their tells to dodge effectively

Shark Loot & Rewards

Defeating sharks yields valuable trophies and quest items. Never sell shark trophies to vendors - these are essential for NPC quests and progression. Each shark type drops unique items like shells, fins, and skeletal remains that unlock new content areas.

How to Fish Boss Guide: All 5 Islands

Each island has a boss you need to beat (and hand in the trophy) to unlock the next area. Here's the quick rundown:

• Spider Crab (Lighthouse Island): Use an Empty Beer Can as bait. Dodge its charge, hit it during the stun window. The easiest boss — a good warmup.
• Giant Piranha (Forest Island): Needs a Modified Leech (from the leech quest). Kill its minions first, then focus the big one. Shotgun works well here.
• Blue Shark (Desert Island): Hooked with a Standard Boss Lure ($280). Defeat it for the Grillmaster to unlock cooking. Watch out for its spiral attack pattern.
• Pufferfish (Desert Island): Summoned with a Carrot. This one rolls at you like a wrecking ball — keep your distance, shoot twice, relocate. The Uzi or Shotgun handles it.
• Terrorizing Bird / Albatross (Rocks Island): Lure it with a Tuna. It attacks from range and literally poops on you for damage. Use the Uzi or Sniper Rifle — the Shotgun can't reach it reliably. Take cover between its attack windows.
• Bowhead Whale (Volcano Island): You fish it up with Whale Bucket, kill it, then throw the carcass into the volcano. That triggers the real final boss.
• Mutated Bowhead Whale (Final Boss): Bigger, tougher, spits lava, and a couple of hits will kill you. You need a fully-upgraded assault rifle and a full inventory of cooked fish for healing. There's even an achievement for beating it with bare fists, but do that on a second run.

Is How to Fish Worth Buying in 2026?

At $7.99, it's a solid deal if you have friends to play with. Solo is playable but you're missing out on what makes the game special: the chaotic co-op moments that happen when four people are trying to coordinate trick shots and accidentally blowing each other up instead. The 95% positive rating across 6,000+ reviews isn't hype — the game earns it.

How to Fish vs Lethal Company vs Content Warning

Same energy, different format. Those games are horror-comedy with rounds and extraction. How to Fish is a progression-based adventure — you unlock islands, fight bosses, and build up your gear over time instead of doing repeated runs. The co-op chaos and physics-driven funny moments are comparable, but How to Fish has more of a gameplay arc. You're working toward something instead of just surviving until extraction.

What Are the PC Requirements?

Very low. Minimum specs are Windows 10, an Intel i5-5257U or AMD Ryzen 3 1200, 8 GB RAM, and a GTX 1050 or RX 460. That's a roughly 2016-era PC. Storage is only 1 GB. If your computer can run anything from the last eight years, it can run How to Fish. You do need a broadband internet connection for co-op, though solo play should work fine offline.

How Many Players Is Best?

Four is the sweet spot. With a full lobby, players naturally fall into roles — someone fishing, someone on shotgun duty, someone managing loot and upgrades. Three works great too. Two is fine but you'll feel the missing manpower on the harder bosses. Solo is doable (the main story can technically be beaten in about an hour if you rush) but you lose most of what makes the game fun. If you're going in solo, treat it as a chill progression game and don't expect the same energy.

How Long Does It Take to Beat?

A normal first playthrough — exploring, doing quests, fighting bosses without rushing — runs about 4 to 6 hours. You can speedrun to the final boss in around an hour if you know what you're doing, but that skips most of the content. After the story, there are 28 Steam achievements to chase, rare "Drip" variant fish to collect for every species, and a $5,800 Scientific Boss Lure that summons an optional Goblin Shark mini-boss. There's enough here for a solid weekend, especially with friends.

How to Fish Rare Variants Guide

After completing the main story, the real challenge begins: collecting all 28 rare "Drip" variant fish. These special versions of regular fish have unique appearances and significantly higher sell values. Here's what you need to know:

Rare Variant Types

• Drip Variants: Gold and diamond-patterned fish that sell for 10x-50x the normal price
• Mini-Boss Trophies: Special items from defeated bosses that serve as collection achievements
• Secret Boss Drops: Unique items from the Goblin Shark and final boss encounters

Finding Rare Variants

• Random Spawns: Each island has specific rare fish that appear randomly
• Weather Events: Certain rare fish only appear during specific weather conditions
• Time Trials: Some variants require quick reflexes and perfect timing
• Secret Locations: