It would not be surprising if an expert concluded that at least one out of ten video games had a fishing minigame in them. They may not all be accurate to fishing in real life, but they’re just as relaxing and engaging. From games on consoles as old as the Nintendo 64 to the newest PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, fishing minigames are present in a lot of your favourite titles, even ones you didn’t realize.
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But some games make fishing way too easy. As much as theAnimal Crossingseries prides itself on its fishing game, all it takes is a push of a button to catch a fish, which is far from how it works in real life. If you’re looking for agame that isn’tallabout fishingbut still includes a realistic fishing minigame, you’ve come to the right place.
10Final Fantasy 15
After a long day of fighting enemies with your three best buds, you, as Noctis, can decide to take a break to partake in his favourite pastime. What makes this minigame realistic isn’t just the high-quality graphics thatFinal Fantasy 15has to offer but the technicality that goes into these mechanics.
Choose where to cast your line, reel in the line slowly to catch the fishes' attention, and as soon as a fish bites, you push left and right against the fish, slowly bringing it towards you. This minigame is probably one of the toughest to learn in FF15 but the most gratifying once you master it.
9Stardew Valley
One of your main hobbies and skills inStardew Valleywill probably be fishing. Alongside farming and mining, fishing is a great way to earn money and fill your community centre. While it may not be as intricate as the previous entry, this game’sfishing minigame is no easy taskfor a new player.
There is a variety of fish in this farming simulator, ranging from pond, river, and ocean types. Once you cast the line, you wait till a fish bites, and the minigame commences. Balancing the icon onscreen to keep in line with the green bar that rises and dips is a tough feat. The rarer the fish, the smaller and faster the green bar gets. The realism comes with the toughness of the mechanics.
8Sea Of Thieves
When on the open water for so long, there’s not much else to do besides catch the fish that swim alongside your ship. WhileSea Of Thievesmainly deals with the adventure life of a pirate, in a pirate’s downtime, they’re sure to go fishing once in a while.
You cast out into the water, waiting to see a fish swimming near your lure. Once they bite, they quickly pull the line away from you, forcing you to pull against the fish and tire it out, similar to real-life fishing. The delightful array of fish and the simple realism of the mechanics makes this a highly enjoyable pastime for your pirate.
7Moonglow Bay
Set on Canada’s Eastern coastline in the ’80s, you play as a rookie angler running a business in this slice-of-life fishing RPG. The adorableMoonglow Bayis all about fishing, so having a realistic fishing minigame that doesn’t get tiring after your one-hundredth fishing endeavor is important.
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Whether you’re on the beach or on your boat, you cast your line and wait for the fish to bite. As per most of these games, once it bites, it’s now a fight against the fish. You have to make sure not to run out of energy and that you pull in the right direction until it gets close enough to catch. There’s also a plethora of rods and lures to unlock, training your rookie angler into an expert.
One of Rockstar’s most critically acclaimed games also includes a highly realistic fishing minigame. Apart from being a cowboy in a gang of outlaws, inRed Dead Redemption 2there are plenty of fun activities to partake in between shootouts, one of which is fishing at one of themany fishing spots available.
This game prides itself in being a realistic RPG, so when you go fishing, it’s quite immersive. Choose your lure and bait, cast the line, and attract the fish by slowly reeling it in. The fish bites and will struggle against you, so like most of these minigames, pull against it for a successful catch.
5The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Fishing minigames appear sparsely inThe Legend Of Zeldafranchise, but when they do, they’re very enjoyable.Ocarina Of Timeis quite a lengthy game, so there is plenty of time for Link to take a break and go fishing for a while, even if it is only allowed in one small area.
Similar to fishing in real life, you cast your line and reel it in to attract the fishes' attention. Once a fish bites, it’s time to fight against its pull and reel it all the way in. This minigame is pretty realistic, as it takes quite a lot of patience to catch a fish.
4Far Cry 6
WhileFar Cry 5was the first in the series to introduce fishing,Far Cry 6kept the enjoyable minigame to engage in as a pastime between gunfights and liberating your nation. Its mechanics are quite simple, but that doesn’t take away from realism.
As you can guess, you find a fishing spot, cast your line, and reel it in slowly. Hook the fish once it bites, and fight the fish’s movements while reeling it in. Some of these fish are very difficult to catch, making it just as immersive as Far Cry 5’s fishing game. If you want to become a major angler, your guerilla camps can build fishing huts, and you can even buy wearable gear to improve your fishing abilities.
3Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Teaching at a monastery and training soldiers is hard work, so why not take a break at the docks? InFire Emblem: Three Houses, you play as Byleth, who can spend their days buying bait and going fishing. This fishing minigame is probably the most unique in this list, but it still bears its realism in the difficulty of the mechanics.
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You cast your line and wait until the A button appears, which starts the minigame. A circle appears on the screen, while a ring quickly makes its way through it. Your job is to hit it at the exact moment the ring hits the purple area of the circle, over and over again, until you tire the fish out. Like real life, this minigame isn’t as simple as pressing a single button to catch the fish.
2Persona 5 Royal
Out of the dozens of activities you can partake in throughoutPersona 5 Royal, fishing is something many players will miss out on if they don’t check out the bookstore in thetourist hotspot, Shibuya. There, you can purchase a book called Fishpond Spotter, and once it’s read you can discover the fishing spot.
Once you arrive, you choose where to cast the line, preferably where you can see more fish, and then wait for a bite. Once latched, a white bar appears with a red one in the middle and a bobber that swings left and right. You press the correct button every time it swings in the red area as you struggle to reel the fish in. Just like most of these minigames, learning to fish takes some practice.
1Spiritfarer
InSpiritfarer, you play Stella, who is a ferry master for the deceased. This cozy management game comes withan emotional storyand entertaining boat-building mechanics. On your ferry, there are many things to do, but you’re welcome to engage in some fishing while out on the open water.
Yes, you guessed it, you cast your line first and wait for a bite. While you must mash the right button to reel it in, your fishing rod will start to turn red if it’s close to snapping. Let go of the button, then continue hitting the button when the rod is yellow or orange. Spiritfarer makes fishing quite relaxing while also not being too easy.
