Indie Fishing Game "How to Fish" Passes 260,000 Concurrent Players Days After Steam Launch

How to Fish, a new indie co-op fishing game, reached over 260,000 concurrent players on Steam three days after its August 20 launch.

The game supports up to four players fishing together, selling their catches for money, and buying new gear. It currently holds an "Overwhelmingly Positive" review status on Steam.

The game stands out by letting players use increasingly unusual tools to catch fish.

How to Fish's Co-Op Gameplay and Friendslop Appeal

How to Fish takes a comedic approach to the fishing simulator genre. Up to four players can fish together, sell their catches, and buy new equipment to improve their chances. The game introduces a range of unconventional tools, from standard fishing rods to knives and even a sniper rifle, which can be used to catch or kill fish.

Players have responded positively to the game's comedic premise. Many reviews on Steam highlight the absurdity of the concept, such as being attacked by piranhas and crustaceans.

Some players have compared the boss fights to those in the Dark Souls series, noting similar mechanics like pattern recognition and dodging that add an unexpected level of difficulty.

The game's strong early performance may help it stand out in the growing "friendslop" genre, which focuses on co-op games where players work together toward a shared objective.

The genre has grown in recent years. Meccha Chameleon surpassed 10 million units sold in June, and titles like Among Us and Lethal Company are often included in the same category for using a similar co-op formula.

How to Fish Joins a Strong Year for Indie Games on Steam

2026 has been a big year for indie games on Steam. Tactical role-playing game Mewgenics, developed by the creator of The Binding of Isaac, has been one of the highest-rated games of 2026 and is planned for ports to PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

The deckbuilder Slay the Spire also received a sequel in 2026, with Slay the Spire 2 releasing in early access. How to Fish is currently available on Steam, where it launched on August 20 and holds an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating.

It does not mention a price or any plans for ports to other platforms, so its availability outside Steam is unconfirmed. It is not yet clear if the game will maintain its early peak in concurrent players beyond launch week.

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post appeared first on gHacks.