Steam is absolutely no stranger to a viral hit. Titles like Peak, Lethal Company, Meccha Chameleon, and so many more have proven to be breakout sensations despite their relatively small marketing budgets, development teams, and relatively simplistic premises. It’s a testament to the power of internet virality, the value in artistic simplicity, and the joy that stems from the now lovingly referred to as friendslop.
The latest viral Steam hit that has managed to amass more concurrent players than the vast majority of AAA titles is a similarly low-budget yet immensely enjoyable sensation that has proven to be a smash hit among fans. Garnering overwhelmingly positive reviews already, this viral game is easily the next in what one can assume is a long line of amazingly successful indies that are must-plays for those with a dedicated group of friends looking for their next favorite game.
It seems like the recipe for success on Steam is to release an unserious, preferably physics-based, party game for up to four people in which players are tasked with achieving a seemingly simple task in a ridiculous manner, making for an abstract yet entertaining joke that everyone can get behind. The game must be cheap, cheerful, and can run on practically any PC, which, naturally, facilitates crude visuals that almost always elevate the comedy further. At the very least, this seems to be the road that Steam’s latest indie sensation has taken, and it has worked out tremendously.
Developed by Dazed Games (with support and funding from Landfall Games, the folks behind Peak and Content Warning), How to Fish feels like the ideal friendslop experience designed to become a viral sensation. Up to four players are stranded on an island and must fish to survive; only they’re given far more absurd tools to fish with, including an assortment of guns. You’ll need to earn money to unlock better fishing equipment, either by collecting and killing fish (naturally) or gambling (not so naturally).
How to Fish has already managed to achieve an all-time peak concurrent player count of 268,101 (according to SteamDB) shortly after launching, a feat that is wildly impressive considering Sony’s expensive flop Marathon only achieved 88,000 and the wildly successful Forza Horizon 6 managed only a little more at 302,000. Of course, player count isn’t necessarily an indication of a great game, which is why it’s fortunate that How to Fish has already amassed over 6,000 reviews, 94% of which are positive.
The best part, and likely a key influencing factor in How to Fish’s incredible success, is that the game is incredibly cheap on Steam. It normally costs just $7.99, but currently has an introductory offer of 38% off, bringing it down to just $4.95. It’s an easy game to pick up and play with a group of friends, and one, like other friendslop games, that’ll undoubtedly continue to get goofy updates on Steam for at least the next couple of years.
- Brand
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Valve
- Original Release Date
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September 12, 2003
