Over the years, there have been many games described as “Comfort Games”, usually simple, fun, and relaxing, often without a proper end goal. One of these comfort games is Cat Goes Fishing, a 2D side scroller in which you play as a little cat with a fishing rod, able to cast your line and catch fish. The game offers a vast variety of fish to catch, as well as an abundance of upgrades, such as boats, new fishing rods, and attachments for your hook.
The gameplay is very simple at first, you cast a line, and the camera follows it as it flies out, lands in the water, and slowly sinks, eventually sitting directly below your rod. You want to position it near a fish so it will bite, and then you can reel it in by clicking your mouse but can’t move it in any other direction. When you catch a small fish, you can use it as bait to catch bigger fish with more value. You can do this up to 3 times, each size fish creating larger bait when recast, able to catch huge monsters in the deep. When you want to sell your fish, you just chuck it behind you and reap the rewards. Once you have enough money, you can buy a better fishing rod capable of casting further, letting you catch more exotic and valuable fish. While this can get a bit repetitive, when you gain enough money, you can buy a boat, letting you sail out to sea with the A and D keys, adding more range and fish. If this still isn’t enough, you can attach lights or Huge Hooks to your line, allowing you to see around you when your line reaches the pitch-black depths and catch whatever huge creatures lurk down there.
The main goal of the game is to just keep catching bigger and better fish; once you have the best rods or boats, it becomes easier to catch the largest fish on the sea floor, but you have to deal with the rocky and snaggy terrain at the bottom. As well as just catching the fish for fun or for money, there are quests you can complete by catching certain fish. Whether they only come out at night or reside at the deepest points, these quests will challenge you, but reward you with extra perks once you complete enough of them. One of these rewards is a heat sensor map, so while you watch your hook sink into the depths, your minimap in the top right corner will display heat signatures where fish are all around you, letting you more accurately place your hook to catch them.
The items you can use in the game vary; you can buy a rocket to attach to your line, letting it fly further for one cast, or you can buy bombs that scare away any unwanted little fish that try and disrupt your hook on its way down. You can also buy stat upgrades, like making your hook sink faster or making your line more resistant to snapping, which allows you to optimise how you catch fish.
Cat Goes Fishing is truly a game that you can sit back and play while snacking or watching a show. It is honestly hard to get frustrated at, and with all of the variety and customisation, I could play for hours without getting bored.