Released 20 Aug 2026 · Action
How to Fish
A chaotic physics-based co-op fishing game about catching, selling and sometimes fighting fish to get off a stranded island.
Get How to Fish on Steam →Last checked 5 Oct 2026 05:24 UTC from Steam.
What is How to Fish?
How to Fish is a physics-based fishing simulator for up to eight players (originally four, raised by an early patch). After a boating accident maroons you and your friends on a small island, you fish — and often fight — your way back home: catching and selling fish, buying better rods and weapons, pulling off trick shots for bonus cash, gambling your earnings, and fighting bosses to unlock tougher islands with rarer fish and gear. Made by the small Swedish studio Dazed Games, founded by Carl-Vilhelm Johansson and Melvin Olsson, it plays like a goofy co-op playground built around one simple hook rather than a deep simulation.
Released on Steam on August 20, 2026 for $7.99, it reached one million players within about two days and peaked at roughly 371,000 concurrent players on August 25 — briefly putting it ahead of Apex Legends, Rust and Palworld on Steam's most-played list. Reviews have stayed strongly positive since, with over 76,000 reviews rated 'Overwhelmingly Positive' on Steam. After cooling off from that initial spike, it's trending again: in the week leading up to October 5, 2026 it climbed Steam's most-played chart from around #52 back up toward #20, with a daily peak near 82,158 concurrent players and about 26,000 playing at the time of checking.
- Genre
- Action, Simulation, Co-op
- Platform
- PC (Steam, Windows only)
- Price
- $7.99
- Developer
- Dazed Games
- Released
- 20 Aug 2026
- Official link
- Steam page
Why it's blowing up
- A simple, chaotic co-op loop — fishing, trick shots and the occasional boss fight create unpredictable, shareable multiplayer moments.
- A low price ($7.99, often discounted) removes the friction of getting a full group of friends to buy in.
- It fits the current wave of low-cost, goofy co-op games that spread through word of mouth and clips rather than marketing.
- A fast early patch cycle — lobbies expanded from 4 to 8 players and private sessions were added within days of launch — kept the early playerbase engaged.
- A second wind in early October 2026, climbing back up Steam's most-played chart weeks after its initial launch spike.
How to play How to Fish
Buy and launch the game
How to Fish costs $7.99 on Steam (it has gone on sale for less). It's Windows-only; there's no Mac or Linux build.
Start fishing with basic gear
You begin with no weapons or upgrades. Cast your line near the shore and reel in whatever bites — this is how you earn your first money.
Sell your catch
Bring fish to the in-game sell point to cash out. Bigger, rarer, or more dramatically-killed fish are worth more thanks to the game's kill-score multiplier.
Upgrade your gear
Spend your earnings on better rods and weapons, including things like brass knuckles, SMGs and dynamite, so you can handle tougher fish.
Take on quests and bosses
Complete quests and beat island bosses to unlock new islands with more dangerous creatures and better loot.
Invite friends
Host or join a lobby — up to 8 players since an early patch — and set it to private if you only want people you invite.
Beginner tips
- Experiment with trick shots when killing fish — the kill-score multiplier rewards flashy or unusual kills with more money than a plain catch.
- You can gamble your fish money in-game for a shot at scaling up your cash faster, but expect to lose it sometimes.
- Go for the rare variant of each fish species, not just the common version — it's one of the game's longer-term goals beyond simply progressing through islands.
- Upgrade gear and weapons before pushing to a new island; undergeared trips against tougher creatures and bosses go badly.
- If you're playing with a full group, use private sessions (added post-launch) to keep random players out of your lobby.
- Watch the route markers to the next island — a patch specifically improved how visible the path is after players reported getting lost.
Timeline
- Releases on Steam for $7.99. source
- Patch 1.0.4 expands lobbies from 4 to 8 players and fixes display and balance issues. source
- Peaks at roughly 370,901 concurrent Steam players, briefly reaching the top 5 most-played games and passing Apex Legends, Palworld and Rust. source
- Climbs Steam's most-played chart to around #20 after sitting near #52 the prior week, with a daily peak of 82,158 concurrent players and about 26,000 playing at the time of checking. source
How to Fish FAQ
Is How to Fish free?
No. It's a paid game, listed at $7.99 on Steam, though it has been discounted at times.
What platforms is How to Fish on?
PC via Steam, Windows only. There is no Mac, Linux or console release listed on its Steam page.
Is How to Fish multiplayer?
Yes. It supports online co-op for up to 8 players after an early patch raised the original 4-player limit, including private, invite-only lobbies.
When did How to Fish release?
It launched on Steam on August 20, 2026.
How many people play How to Fish?
It hit 1 million players within about two days of launch and peaked near 371,000 concurrent players on August 25, 2026. After settling lower, it was still pulling a daily peak of roughly 82,000 players in early October 2026.
Is there a mobile version of How to Fish?
No mobile release has been found — it is currently a Steam PC release only.
Who made How to Fish?
Dazed Games, a small Swedish studio founded by Carl-Vilhelm Johansson and Melvin Olsson.
Official & community links
If you like it, players also mention: Fishing Planet, PEAK, R.E.P.O., Lethal Company.
Page updated 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Tell us via the about page.