How to play
Everything you need for your first day on the islands, on a computer or a phone.
Controls
| To… | On a computer | On a phone (held sideways) |
|---|---|---|
| Walk | W A S D or the arrow keys | The joystick on the left |
| Cast | Click near a school of fish; hold to throw farther. Or hold Space to cast in front of you | Tap the water, or the Cast button |
| Strike when a fish bites | Click or press Space | Tap |
| Reel during a fight | Hold the click or Space while the fish is calm; let go when it pulls | Hold the button; let go when it pulls |
| Talk, shop, use the dock | E when you are close | The hand button |
| Upgrades (Tide Chart) | Tab | The map button |
| Rods and bait | G | The rod button |
| Journal (requests, bounties, achievements, wardrobe) | J | The book button |
Catching a fish
- Find the fish. Look for ripples and jumping fish just off the beach. Casting near a school brings a bite sooner.
- Wait for the bite. When the bobber dips, strike straight away.
- Win the fight. Reel while the fish is calm and let go when it pulls hard. If the red bar fills, the line snaps. Don’t leave the line slack too long either, or it slips the hook.
Finding fights hard? Turn on Assisted fights in Settings, or buy a stronger rod. Both make big fish gentler.
Weather and time of day
- Rain: fish bite sooner, and some species only come out in wet weather.
- Storms: rare fish are more common, and storms stir up the giants in the deep.
- Rainbows: while one lasts, every catch is worth more. Fish fast!
- Night: glowing fish come out after dark.
Growing your island
Sell your catch at the kiosk and spend your GO on the Tide Chart: better gear, a bigger backpack, crab pots that fill while you are away, and little helpers like Tik the Hermit Crab, who gathers dropped coins for you. Each upgrade also brings part of the island back to life.
Traders ask for special fish in your Journal, and there are new bounties every day. Restore an island and a new one appears on the chart: walk to the dock sign and set sail.
Legends of the deep
Every island hides a legendary boss in deep water. Follow the “Boss” arrow, cast beside its shadow and watch for its special moves. Restore every island to hold the Moon Festival, and the legends return, harder and with bigger prizes.
In the Storm Sea waits the Megalodon. It only takes Glow Bait, and only the Moonsilver Rod can hold it. Many anglers bring friends and fight it together in a raid.
Community Isle
Every angler can sail to Community Isle: its shops sell rods, lures, clothes and pets, Captain Rung repairs and improves your gear, and the gull post office runs a players’ market and lets you send gifts and letters. Grandma Dao turns your record catches into trophies for the Hall of Fame.
Your boat and the open sea
At Captain Rin’s boatyard, build your boat piece by piece (hull, sail, lantern and compass), choose a paint and give it a name that other players see on the open sea. Out there, you can sail between every island, search old wrecks, and ride along in a friend’s boat.
Friends and crews
Add friends, visit them wherever they are, and start or join a crew with its own tag and chat. Your aquarium on Coral Bay shows off your best catch, and visitors leave tips.