News
A $4.95 fishing game made by a tiny indie team just pulled 142,000 concurrent players on Steam. How to Fish, from developer and self-publisher Dazed Games, launched on August 20, 2026 and hit a peak of 142,000 simultaneous players within three days, according to SteamDB.
For scale: that is a concurrent player count most AAA releases would be pleased with, achieved by a physics-based fishing game that costs less than a coffee.
So what is How to Fish?
You crash a boat into a small island while drinking. To get home, you have to learn how to fish. That is the entire premise, and it supports 1 to 4 player co-op.
You start with nothing: no gear, no weapons. You catch fish, sell them, and use the money to buy better equipment. Completing quests spawns a boss, and beating that boss unlocks the next island, where the creatures are more dangerous and the gear is better.
The part that made it go viral: the guns
Fishing here is not the meditative kind. The hook is that you combine the rod with firearms. Players fling a caught fish into the air with the rod, then shoulder a sniper rifle and take it out mid-flight. Landing these trick shots pays bonus money, so the game actively rewards showing off rather than fishing efficiently.
It cuts both ways. Some of the things you catch fight back, and dying is entirely possible while you are lining up a stylish shot.
The reception
The numbers back up the hype. How to Fish currently holds roughly 7,100 Steam reviews at 94% positive, which puts it in the Very Positive bracket. It is running a 38% launch discount until August 28, which puts an already cheap game near impulse-buy territory.
Why this keeps happening to co-op games
How to Fish follows a pattern that has repeated all year: a cheap, physics-driven, 1-4 player co-op game with one absurd mechanical hook explodes on Steam because it is inherently watchable. Trick-shotting a fish out of the sky with a rifle is a clip. Clips travel. The game sells itself.
The lesson for indie developers is not make a fishing game. It is that a single spectacular, shareable verb layered onto a familiar loop is worth more than a longer feature list.
Where to get it
- Buy it on Steam (38% off until August 28)
- Follow the developer: @Dazed_Games on X
- Read our full How to Fish breakdown
If chaotic co-op is your thing, see also Dear Passengers and SHORE, or browse the full games library.
Player count data via SteamDB; first reported by Denfaminicogamer.
Frequently asked questions
How many players does How to Fish have?
How to Fish peaked at 142,000 concurrent players on Steam within three days of its August 20, 2026 launch, according to SteamDB.
How much does How to Fish cost?
The base price is $4.95, and it is running a 38% launch discount until August 28, 2026.
Is How to Fish multiplayer?
Yes. It supports 1 to 4 player online co-op, and you can also play the whole game solo.
Who made How to Fish?
Dazed Games, an indie studio that both developed and self-published the game.
Why is How to Fish so popular?
The core hook is combining fishing with firearms. You launch caught fish into the air with your rod and shoot them mid-flight for bonus money, which produces highly shareable clips. Combined with a low price and 1-4 player co-op, it spread quickly on social media and streaming.
