Nice Day for Fishing is an adventure RPG with pixel art visuals and a progression system tied to upgrading fishing gear. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Nice Day for Fishing Review Overview
What is Nice Day for Fishing?
Nice Day for Fishing is a 2D side-scrolling adventure RPG built around fishing as its core mechanic. Set in Azerim, the story follows Baelin, a once-background NPC fisherman who unexpectedly becomes the realm’s chosen hero after adventurers vanish. Players take on Baelin’s journey across interconnected islands and underwater zones, completing quests, battling monsters and bosses using fishing-based combat, and unlocking spells.
Nice Day for Fishing features:
⚫︎ Pixel Art Visuals
⚫︎ Fish Collection
⚫︎ Fishing Based Combat
⚫︎ Gear Upgrades and Progression
⚫︎ 2D Side Scroller
⚫︎ Comedic Storyline and Dialogue
⚫︎ Voice Acted Characters By VLDL
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Steam |
 PlayStation |
 Switch |
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| Price | $19.99 | ||||
Nice Day for Fishing Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Deep Fishing Combat System Charming And Funny Writing Boss Fights Are Engaging Great Underwater Exploration |
Repetitive Fetch Quests and Backtracking Slow Story Progression Core Loop Doesn’t Evolve Much Fast Travel Unlocks Late |
Nice Day for Fishing Overall Score - 76/100
Nice Day for Fishing is one of those rare comedy games that doesn’t just ride the joke, it builds something genuinely fun on top of it. Its fishing-combat system is clever, the world oozes personality, and the boss fights pack surprising tension. But even charm has its limits. The slow progression, repetitive quest structure, and lack of fast travel for large chunks of the game do drag the experience down. It’s a lovable game that bites off just a little more than it can reel in, but for the right kind of player, that won’t matter. You’re here to smile, and you probably will.
Nice Day for Fishing Story - 7/10
Baelin’s journey from background prop to chosen one is more premise than plot, but it’s a good one. The story delivers just enough momentum to keep you curious, even as it loops through quests and detours that sometimes feel more filler than progression. There aren’t big emotional beats or shocking turns, but it doesn’t need them, its humor and sincerity carry the weight. Baelin’s blank-faced optimism makes him an oddly endearing protagonist, and the world around him is just unhinged enough to keep you wondering what’s next, even if it takes a while to get there.
Nice Day for Fishing Gameplay - 8/10
Fishing-as-combat shouldn’t work this well, and yet here we are. The game’s central loop—casting, tugging, defending, spell-slinging—is clever, tactile, and surprisingly satisfying. Boss fights, in particular, turn the mechanics into high-stakes battles of rhythm and resource management, with potions and spells feeling essential, not optional. That said, the loop doesn’t evolve much, and some players may tire of the repetition. There’s depth here (literally and figuratively), but it’s delivered in a slow trickle rather than steady waves. Still, when the grind hits right, it hits really right.
Nice Day for Fishing Visuals - 8/10
The pixel art is expressive, the environments are layered, and characters pop with charm. The game’s use of verticality and hidden nooks keeps exploration engaging, and the world design supports its Metroidvania-lite structure with charm. But stylistically bold as it is, the game isn’t visually ambitious. There’s little in the way of visual variety across zones, and while it’s technically solid, it never pushes the medium. It looks good, it fits the tone, and it supports the gameplay well, but it’s not eye-popping.
Nice Day for Fishing Audio - 7/10
The voice acting is joyful chaos, and the sound design supports the game’s humor nicely, especially when lines intentionally mismatch subtitles. But outside of those character moments, the audio work is just serviceable. The soundtrack doesn’t really stand out, and ambient sound could’ve done more to sell the world’s atmosphere. We’re not asking for orchestral majesty here, but something to deepen the immersion.
Nice Day for Fishing Value for Money - 8/10
At $19.99, you’re getting a surprisingly full experience. The campaign is slow to unfurl, but there’s a solid chunk of content packed into its silly world—bosses to fight, fish to catch, upgrades to chase. Replayability is light, but the game’s charm and gradual unlocking of abilities give it decent legs for a single run.
Nice Day for Fishing Review: NPC To MVP
You know that NPC who says the same thing every time you pass by. Doesn’t blink, doesn’t flinch, just stares into the horizon and mutters something like, "Morning! Nice day for fishing, ain’t it? Hu Uah." A background character so deeply committed to standing in place that even a world-ending event wouldn't break his line tension.
When I tell you that this is the guy who becomes the hero, you might be tempted to laugh. I did too. But that’s the entire hook of Nice Day for Fishing, the world of Azerim has lost its adventurers, and now, it's Baelin’s time to shine. Yes, that Baelin. The humble fisherman who’s never done more than cast a line and smile like a man who’s never once known urgency. And now? He’s the main character. The chosen one. The only hope. And somehow, that absurd premise? It works. Beautifully.
If you’re even slightly familiar with Viva La Dirt League’s Tales of Azerim, you already know the kind of lovingly stupid, strangely deep lore you’re in for. But you don’t need to be a devout follower of VLDL to appreciate the sheer charm of this game. I wouldn’t call myself a mega-fan—I watch their stuff, I laugh, I move on—but the second I booted up Nice Day for Fishing, I could tell I was in for something thoughtfully ridiculous. And fun. And weirdly heartfelt.
Set in a pixelated 2D side-scrolling world, Nice Day for Fishing is an adventure RPG that doesn’t just slap a fishing rod into your inventory, it builds its entire identity around it. This isn’t just a minigame. Fishing is the combat. Fishing is the traversal. Fishing is magic. Fishing is life.
As Baelin, you’ll travel from one island to the next, battle sea creatures and bosses alike using bait and bobbers, and slowly—slowly—piece together a questline that may or may not actually be moving forward (we’ll talk about that later). And at the heart of it all is this unmistakable sincerity, this loving parody of RPG tropes that somehow still delivers the goods even as it pokes fun at them.
So, without skipping—because you really shouldn't skip—let’s cast off and dive into the guts of this surprisingly fishy RPG.
The Fishing Pole Is Your Sword
You ever play an RPG and think, "Yeah, this is great and all, but what if I could parry monster attacks with a fishing rod?" No? Well, same. But Nice Day for Fishing makes a strong case that maybe we’ve been doing combat wrong all along.
Here’s the thing, in this game, everything revolves around fishing. Not just as a quirky pastime, but as the central mechanic. Your battles? Fishing. Your magic spells? Cast through fishing. Exploration, upgrades, unlocking new zones? You guessed it—more fishing. But what sounds like a one-joke gimmick actually turns out to be… well, kind of brilliant.
Combat in Nice Day for Fishing has a rhythm to it. Each encounter—whether you’re pulling a tuna from the shallows or fighting off an eldritch sea beast—relies on precision timing. You cast your line, wait for a bite, and then begin a tug-of-war that plays like a blend of active reeling, defending, and even parrying enemy attacks with quick flicks of your rod. And then there’s spellcasting. You earn magical abilities by pleasing the Fishing God (more on him later), and these can burn through your enemies’ health. All through fishing. Still with me?
The deeper the waters, the stronger the threats, and the better the rewards. That’s where upgrades come in. You’ll gradually earn better fishing rods, longer lines, better bait, and other tools that let you explore new depths. These upgrades are your progression system. They’re how you go from humble fisherman to savior of Azerim. You’ll be grinding XP by hunting rare fish, completing weird little side quests, and unlocking divine blessings (spells).
Speaking of fish, there’s a lot of them. Some are simple, some are dangerous, some are just there to make you laugh, but all of them go into a fish collection, viewable via the God Statue of Fishing. It's not just for bragging rights either. The more fish you haul up, the more powers you're granted by this underwater deity. Your reward for obsessive fishing? Upgraded spells, new powers, and more reasons to dive just a little bit deeper next time.
There’s a nice ebb and flow to the loop. You venture out, battle some fish-things, gather materials and loot, maybe stumble on a hidden chest or two, then return to upgrade your gear or fulfill a villager’s weird request. It’s a gameplay rhythm that’s surprisingly compelling, even satisfying.
And yeah, I’ll say it, the first few hours are genuinely fun. It's absurd. But it's also… kind of great. However, like any loop, it can stretch a little thin.
A World Worth Wading Through
Even with all the battle-fishing and spell-slinging, Nice Day for Fishing is, at its heart, an exploration game. A charming little world built with pixels and punchlines, where every body of water has secrets and every stretch of shoreline feels like it’s holding back just a bit more treasure for later.
The world of Azerim isn’t sprawling—this isn’t some massive open world with dozens of cities and wild biomes. But what it is is thoughtfully compact. Nice Day for Fishing follows a side-scrolling structure, which might sound limited, but it actually allows for a layered kind of verticality. Each island, lake, and underwater cavern has depth—literally. The more you upgrade your tools, the deeper you can fish, and the deeper you go, the more things shift. Suddenly, the cheerful sea you fished in an hour ago reveals ancient ruins at its base.
It’s a little like Metroidvania meets fishing sim, if you can imagine such a thing. The game constantly nudges you to revisit old areas once you’ve improved your equipment, stronger lines let you pull from darker depths. The incentive loop works, there’s always something slightly out of reach, and that keeps you casting just one more time.
The visuals deserve a mention too. I know, pixel art is hardly groundbreaking these days, but Nice Day for Fishing does it with flair. There’s something oddly deliberate about how this game’s world is built. Characters are expressive, even in just a few frames of animation. Their faces are tiny mosaics, yet they convey such precise moods. The wizard’s smug "I’ve got a quest for you" stare. All pitch-perfect.
And if you’re familiar with VLDL’s YouTube sketches, you’ll be grinning every time you recognize a familiar face. Yes, these are actual recreations of the troupe’s characters, down to their pixel-perfect outfits and exaggerated expressions. It’s not just fan service—it’s fan celebration.
And the voice acting? Characterful and fun There’s something inherently delightful about hearing the same goofy voices from VLDL’s videos delivering lines you’ve probably quoted with friends. And the game knows how funny that is. Sometimes the spoken line and the dialogue box don’t even match. A goblin will say it wants to eat humans in subtitles while the voice screams for fish. It’s such a dimwitted joke, and yet it never stops being funny.
It all adds up to a world that feels dense with charm, even when it’s small in scope. You want to poke into every corner, not because you’re told to, but because it just seems like something funny or weird might happen. There’s a genuine sense of discovery here, which is good because you’re going to be doing a lot of backtracking. And I mean a lot.
The Grind Beneath the Grin
Okay, here’s the part where I stop smiling for a moment. Nice Day for Fishing kicks off with a grin and a chuckle, and for a while, it rides that wave effortlessly. But somewhere around the tenth fetch quest, when you're hauling your pixelated boots back and forth across the same three islands for the fifth time, something changes. No matter how cheerful everything is, the quests become a little bit… tedious.
Let’s talk about progression—or rather, the illusion of it.
The game makes you feel like you’re moving forward because you’re doing a lot. You’re talking to the fish merchant, fetching things for the woodcutter, gathering materials from the sea floor, upgrading your line, then getting sidetracked by some wizard who wants you to run back to town. At first, it feels like your classic cozy RPG rhythm.
But then you realize, "wait, have I actually progressed the main story?" Because all this questing doesn’t really translate into meaningful narrative momentum. You’ll be three hours deep and still trying to deliver that same item to the same NPC who can’t be helped until you help three other NPCs, who themselves need things from three more NPCs. It’s quest inception. You’re not climbing a ladder, you’re walking in a circle.
What’s wild is that the distance isn’t even that far. The game world is fairly compact, as mentioned before. But the absence of fast travel early on, makes every trip feel longer than it is. And yes, there’s a portal system eventually, but you don’t unlock that until you’ve already been manually rowing back and forth between islands for hours. It’s like being told you’ll get a car… right after you’ve walked the entire pilgrimage barefoot.
It also doesn’t help that the core mechanic—fishing-as-combat—doesn’t evolve all that much. Sure, you unlock new spells. You get stronger gear. You find deeper waters. But the actual feel of the loop stays the same. Cast, reel, tug, cast again. The spells add flair, but the novelty wears thin. It’s not broken, it’s just… unchanged. Once you’ve nailed the rhythm, there’s not much else to master. Now, is that bad? Not necessarily. Some players will find comfort in the repetition. But others might feel that the game is dragging its heels.
What makes this sting a bit more is that the story itself is really just inching forward in the background. Baelin’s journey from background NPC to actual hero is fun in concept, but in execution, it lacks those big, emotional beats or major turning points. It’s a steady trickle of quests, jokes, and upgrades—but never a dam burst of momentum.
Some of this might actually be intentional satire—VLDL’s bread and butter is poking fun at RPG pain points, after all. The backtracking. The endless fetch quests. The pointless detours. It’s all stuff they’ve skewered in their skits. But when you’re on the receiving end of it in-game? Well, satire or not, it can still feel like a chore.
Still, even if the grind gets real, it’s hard to stay mad at a game that has this much charm. It’s like being frustrated with a puppy who keeps chewing your socks. It’s annoying, but then it looks at you with those goofy eyes, and suddenly, you’re smiling again.
Big Fish, Bigger Fights
Just when the rhythm of fishing starts to feel too predictable—cast, reel, defend, repeat—Nice Day for Fishing throws a leviathan your way. And suddenly, you’re awake again.
The boss fights in this game, while built on the same core mechanics, somehow manage to feel like entire set pieces. It’s still fishing at the heart of it, yes—but now it’s fishing under siege. You’re tugging on your line with one hand while dodging projectile attacks, timing your parries to absurd tells, and frantically chugging potions to keep Baelin upright.
And these bosses? They have health bars for days. Some of them feel like they’ve wandered in from a Soulslike, with how long they take to whittle down. You’ll need every spell in your pocket, every trick the Fishing God gave you, and a rod that’s been upgraded past the point of reason. Not because the mechanics change drastically, but because the intensity cranks up.
Where normal combat feels like a cozy rhythm game, boss fights become controlled chaos. You’re no longer reacting to simple bite cues, you’re reading patterns, baiting attacks, and weaving between damage bursts while still trying to maintain your grip on a writhing sea monster. It’s a dance, and you’re always one mistimed flick away from disaster.
The best part? You can’t just wing it, you need better rod strength, potion stockpiles, unlocked spells. It’s the one time where all your grinding, all your backtracking, actually pays off in a satisfying way. Not just because you’re stronger, but because you're prepared. And when you finally land that last tug and send the beast flying out of the water in a spray of pixelated glory? It feels earned. Hard-earned. Like you've actually bested something. If the rest of the game is a slow paddle through a charming bay, boss fights are the whirlpools—brief, chaotic, and surprisingly exhilarating.
Is Nice Day for Fishing Worth It?
Catch Of The Day
For $19.99, Nice Day for Fishing offers a very specific flavor of RPG: cozy, comedic, and completely committed to its bit. It’s not the most mechanically deep game. It’s not especially fast-paced. And the progression—especially in the main quest—can feel like you’re reeling in a tire for the twentieth time. Slowly. But it is something special.
It’s a lovingly crafted parody that doesn’t just point and laugh at RPG tropes—it participates in them. It plays them out. It lets you feel the grind, the backtracking, the absurd quest logic, and the triumph when you finally beat a boss with nothing but your spells and your fishing line. That sincerity makes all the difference.
You’re getting a compact adventure here. One with solid mechanics, fun boss fights, great voice acting, and some of the most intentionally stupid-funny writing this side of a VLDL sketch. If you’re a fan of the troupe, it’s an easy yes. If you’re not? It’s still worth a shot, because beneath the goofy setup is a genuinely thoughtful game.
So, is it worth it? Yeah. Just know what you're buying. You’re not signing up for a 60-hour epic or a deep character drama. You’re signing up for a fishing rod and an NPC who, against all odds, really did have the potential all along.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
PlayStation |
Switch |
|||
| Price | $19.99 | ||||
Nice Day for Fishing FAQ
How Do I Get the Treasures That Are in the Caverns?
After meeting the God of Fishing, he’ll add underwater currents to specific zones that let your bait drift into hard-to-reach areas. These currents act like environmental puzzles, timing your cast and angle becomes essential. Some treasure spots can only be accessed once you’ve upgraded your rod and line length, so if you’re coming up short, come back later with better gear.
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Nice Day for Fishing Product Information
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|
| Title | NICE DAY FOR FISHING |
|---|---|
| Release Date | May 29, 2025 |
| Developer | FusionPlay |
| Publisher | Team17 |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam), PS5, Switch |
| Genre | Adventure, RPG, Simulation |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | T |
| Official Website | Nice Day for Fishing Website |
