Fishbowl

A beautifully heartfelt game. The grief at the center of the story is something we're all faced with. This game opened some wounds for me but...gently. I never felt overwhelmed by the emotions it was bringing up. I did cry a few times but overall the vibe is soothing. I've seen some reviews saying they got bored with the gameplay loop. This definitely wasn't an issue for me. It probably helps that I love life sims so doing daily activities in a game is already something I enjoy. But I also love how this drove home that feeling of trying to continue with the little things while being worn down by grief. Just a lovely playthrough. Highly recommend.

The gameplay is not overly complicated, but it conveys the ideas well. Just... thank you. Fantastic game. Fantastic lens into how grief works and can be processed. These are lessons we'll take with us forever. I don't want to spoil the game or plot, I think a lot of it comes from the quiet and slow going through the motions and the days along with Alu. It's so incredibly well done. The characters, the choices, the little moments throughout. I love this so much. Thank you for teaching us so much and sharing all of this.

sometimes i be playing this game and then realise im taking better care of alo than i am of myself. so i go eat food or make some tea or whatever. criminally underrated beautiful game, please play it, it's about loss and grief and getting through the day and seeing beauty in the little things !!

The last time I cried to a game was almost a decade ago. This game definitely hit my emotions in ways I didn't know ... Definitely taught me to take a step back, breath and learn to find my Pamplet. This game taught me to try and always, "I promise to try" <3

such a beautiful game! the art is gorgeous, i loved the character designs and getting a glimpse of their lives through their bedroom backgrounds. i related to this story heavily as someone who struggles with depression and loneliness and who has a hard time remembering that i am loved. getting Alo to do small but important things like eat, shower, and clean made me feel at least a little more inspired to do the same for myself in real life. i fought tears navigating the depictions of family struggle, secrets, and financial hardship that ultimately came from a place of love. this game gets you to empathize not only for the characters, but also for yourself. i haven't seen a lot of games that focus on the COVID lockdown. i think Fishbowl perfectly displays the feelings of isolation, desparation, and simultaneous small rays of hope felt during that time!

I'm very glad that I found this game! The moment it flashed on my screen what the story contained, I told myself "Aaah I relate to this game so much." Every word here hits me and whenever it does, I will pause the game and savor it. Especially, Alo's Poetry. I also love how Alo, Kiah and Zuari uses the phrase "Promise to try!" LIKEEE huhuhu I don't know if it's just me, but It makes me teary-eyed whenever they say it. I love all the characters, story of the game and the Pixel art style. I love everything! What a masterpiece. <333 10000/10

im played a lot of games but this one is only skip the messages. it chores and messages nothing more. everyday the same tasks and no plot no nothing. you are only skipping messages and phonescalls. its like reading a book NO gameplay and this person is just weak. depression is not like that here. its very bad DONT BUY IT! i played the whole game for a review and i can say one of the worst games i ever played in my life. waste of money and time ! if you like reading a book then read a book instead of buying this game. play to the moon instead.

[b]Fishbowl[/b] is an endearing and intimate slice-of-life narrative adventure about grief, dreams, hope and self-discovery. It follows 21-year-old Alo as she navigates big life changes and rediscovers memories from her past. While the game does not explicitly mention it, it is clear that Fishbowl is set during the pandemic or a similar time of isolation. It sees players taking on the role of Alo, a young woman who is starting her first job in a brand new city, whilst also mourning the recent death of her grandmother. The narrative focuses on her struggle with grief and her abandoned dreams, as well as the dreams of the people close to her. Fishbowl’s narrative is slow-paced but emotive. The relatable slice-of-life aspects of the game emphasise the poignancy of the more standout or impactful moments in Alo’s life and help foster a meaningful connection between the player and the protagonist. Players are tasked with fulfilling Alo’s daily tasks and experiencing her everyday life, 24 hours at a time. Tasks include staying fed and hydrated, housework, watering plants, personal hygiene, and working from home as a video editor, which entails a fun minigame. After receiving a number of parcels from her mother, filled with the possessions of her late grandmother, Alo unpacks a little each day. One of the items is a magical wind-up fish called Paplet, who becomes her companion in a bowl, helping her to unravel her past as the remaining items trigger suppressed or forgotten memories. As well as jumping into the rekindled memories, players will also experience Alo’s distressing dreams that reflect her self-doubt and worries. Fishbowl uses delightful 2D pixel art with an impressive level of detail and cosy lighting. A cool colour palette is favoured, with blue and purple tones being particularly prominent. The game’s lo-fi soundtrack is very mellow, helping to create a relaxing atmosphere while sitting in the background comfortably. Fishbowl is a uniquely captivating and powerful game; its casual gameplay works in tandem with the narrative to pack an emotional punch, and the stylised pixel graphics represent it all beautifully. Certain aspects have a very relatable and familiar feel to them, which increases the player’s immersion in the experience and, in turn, their connection with the honest and emotive narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed playing my part in Alo’s journey of self-discovery. [b]WANT TO KNOW MORE?[/b] My full review of this game where I go into more detail about narrative, gameplay, and styling is available on [url=https://indie-hive.com/fishbowl/]Indie Hive[/url].