Fishbowl Guide: Find Your Next Adventure

Fishbowl is one of those games that completely catches you off guard. Created by the two-person crew at imissmyfriends.studio and published by Wholesome Games Presents, it dropped on PS5 and Steam in early April 2026. You step into the shoes of Alo, a 21-year-old trying to navigate her first real job in a new city. The catch? The world is locking down for the pandemic, and she is actively grieving the loss of her grandmother. It is honestly one of the most raw, accurate takes on young adult life during those weird early-2020 days.

A Month of Isolation and Emotional Unpacking

The whole story wraps up in a single in-game month. Alo is working from home as a video editor, completely cut off from her family. You really feel that heavy, specific emotional weight attached to totally mundane tasks. Anyone who lived through the shelter-in-place era will instantly recognize that vibe.

As you physically unpack boxes in Alo’s apartment, you are also unpacking her grief. There is this little toy fishbowl she finds among her grandma’s things. It is not just a cute decoration. That fishbowl is actually the key to unlocking her core memories.

The Mood Gauge Dictates Everything

Your daily mood gauge is the mechanical heart of this game. It sits at the top of your screen and reacts to everything you do. Basic self-care pushes it up. Doomscrolling on the couch drags it right back down.

Here is the brilliant part: if you start a low-mood activity like staring at your tablet, you literally cannot stop unless your mood gauge is high enough to break the cycle. Every choice acts as a yes-or-no gate, capturing that heavy feeling of inertia perfectly.

Pro tip for starting your days: stick to a strict self-care routine. Hit the toilet, brush your teeth, take a shower, and brew some coffee. Doing things in that exact order builds enough mood momentum to give you actual choices later in the day. Some activities, like taking a bubble bath, are completely locked early on because Alo just isn’t in the right headspace for them yet.

Surviving the Daily Grind

The daily routine is structured but gives you room to breathe. There is no ticking clock stressing you out, so you tackle things based on how you feel. I put together a breakdown of what a typical day looks like for Alo so you know what to expect.

The work mini-game is surprisingly fun, especially if you know what it is like staring at editing timelines or dragging stuff around in Blender all day. You sort audio, video, and image files on a timeline against the clock. You can even annoy the game’s version of Clippy to earn an achievement.

Cooking is another major highlight, but you have to earn it. Once you find her grandmother’s old cookbook, you unlock the ability to make real meals. This boosts your mood way faster than sad fridge snacks and connects Alo directly to her memories of the family diner.

Flashbacks and Toy Fish

Every time you pull an item from those unpacked boxes, you trigger a core memory. These playable childhood flashbacks are anchored by the toy fish, which basically becomes Alo’s makeshift roommate for the month.

These sequences do way more than just dump backstory on you. They shift Alo’s mood and teach her forgotten skills. Finding that cookbook doesn’t just give you a gameplay mechanic; it brings the flavors of her past back into her lonely apartment.

A massive word of warning though. Do not rush the unpacking process. If you try to unlock every memory at once, your mood gauge will completely tank. Space it out over a few days and treat it like the exhausting emotional process it actually is.

Is It Worth Your Time?

Your choices throughout the month determine which of the multiple endings you get. There is no traditional punishment system, but your decisions definitely add up. You are looking at around an 8 to 10-hour playthrough, depending on how much you rush.

Reviews are incredibly strong, with critics highlighting the emotional honesty and the genius mood system. One reviewer even admitted it was the first game to make them cry in over a decade.

If you lived through the early pandemic, lost someone close, or understand complex family dynamics, this game is going to hit you hard. Just don’t go in expecting fast-paced action. It is a slow, cozy burn. Play it one in-game day at a time, take a breather on your balcony if you need to, and just soak it in.

If you are ready to discover your next favorite low-stress indie title or just need some help with your current playthrough, you can browse through all of my other gaming guides.