How to Play How to Fish
How to Fish is a physics-based fishing action game. You catch creatures, fight them, sell the results, and upgrade to reach new islands. It is not a calm fishing sim - fish fight back, bosses hit hard, and the community warns the game has no difficulty options or armor stat.
The Core Loop
- Cast your line (LMB) to hook a creature
- Fight the creature with your equipped weapon
- Sell the catch for money
- Buy and upgrade weapons and the boat engine
- Complete quests and beat bosses to open new islands
- Collect rare variants and farm achievements as optional goals
Controls
- LMB - cast line / attack with equipped weapon
- RMB - aim / throw dynamite
- W / A / S / D - move
- Space - jump (your best dodge)
- E - interact / pick up items
- R - reload weapon
- Shift - sprint
- Tab - open inventory / shop
Key Mechanics At A Glance
Jump dodging is your main defensive tool. Most fish and bosses telegraph a lunge before attacking - jump sideways as they rush and you avoid the hit entirely. This is how you survive the pufferfish charge and the whale slam.
Trick-shot multipliers reward style: spin mid-air before the killing shot and the sale bonus doubles. Reload discipline matters - running out of ammo mid-fight against a boss ends the run, so reload during a dodge window.
There is no armor stat and no difficulty setting in the full release. Healing comes from eating cooked fish and the island grill, so always stock food before a boss fight.
Where To Start
Start with the Beginner Guide, learn the controls on this page, then follow the Upgrade Path to the money skip before tackling your first boss.