Luna’s Fishing Garden Review 

Game: Luna’s Fishing Garden
Genre: Adventure, Simulation
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam)
Developer|Publisher: Coldwild games | AbsoDev
Age Rating: EU 3+ | US Everyone
Price:  UK £7.19 | EU € 7,99 | USA $7.99
Release Date: September 3rd, 2021

Review code provided with many thanks to Coldwild Games Press

Swept Away

We all play video games for different reasons. Some like a challenge but many players like to sink into a good video game just to relax. My review today is for one such title, Luna’s Fishing Garden is a 2D fishing game with garden creation elements. You play as Cassie, who after being caught up in a storm awakens in the spirit world with a little sprout on her head. She is tasked by the fox spirit Luna to create a beautiful garden.

Luna’s Fishing Garden doesn’t have you striving for high scores or beating a difficult boss. Instead, it’s one to put on after a difficult stressful week and put you quickly into a relaxed state. A feat actually quite challenging for a game. This title may not look like much but this one really gets the basics right.

A Spot of Fishing

The flow of the game is simple and accessible for gamers of all skill levels. You begin the game by basically clearing up some garbage on an island then handing it back to the Fox spirit Luna. The spirit gives you a little leaf boat that lets you row to another island where you talk to a Seal spirit who gives you a fishing rod. With the rod and your little boat, you can find little fishing spots to catch a small random assortment of fish. You can then turn these fish in for quests or return any excess to Luna to gain more leaves.

The leaves act as the game’s main currency which you can use to visit the lighthouse and unlock more islands. This can also be used to purchase various plants and animals to create the spirit garden of your dreams. The entire design of the game is finding more animal spirits, completing their quests until the game reaches its optional conclusion. When you reach the end of the game you are given the choice to continue messing around in the spirit world or choose to end the experience.  

The overall game won’t take you more than 3 hours to finish but it’s a title that easily leaves you wanting more. There could have been more of everything in this game but instead, it ends up being a short moment of happiness. But it is an experience that lets you dip in and out quite comfortably even if you are playing this between other games. 

Cast a Line

When it comes to fishing, the game provides you with two gameplay options. You can opt for a more challenging fishing experience. In this version when you cast your line you need to keep the little fish sprite in a bar in order to complete the catch. It requires patience and keeping things in just the right place for a period of time.

If this is too much you can opt for the relaxing fishing experience. Here you just have to hold the button to reel in the fish by occasionally letting go if the sprite starts to wiggle. Whichever version you choose, none of the game’s content is locked out and you can change it at any time during the game. Honestly, I preferred sticking to the relaxing mode as it seemed to suit the overall Zen-like experience of the game. You can also upgrade your fishing pole making some of the more difficult fish easier to catch later on. 

Smiles All Round

The graphics are a simple pixel design but it explodes positivity. Everything in this game is ridiculously happy. Lots of bright colours and young Cassie has the biggest smile on her face that will likely make even the most frowny face smirk especially when you catch a fish. When you finally start creating a bigger garden and adding animals it’s quite wonderful just watching the birds fly around and beavers row about in a little boat. 

Conclusion – A Moment of Meditation

Luna’s Fishing Garden doesn’t reinvent things when it comes to game design. But the game’s strength lies in its heart. The entire time I played this game I smiled at Cassie’s adorable face when she caught a fish. I also felt so relaxed playing this experience. This game might just be the current equivalent of video game meditation. No challenge, just a good feeling guaranteed through its simple, short but lovely experience.

Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot