Ripple Lake

What you do

A cozy fishing game with an otter on a dock. Fish swim as shadows in three depth bands, so you can see how big they are but not what they are until you land them. Cast just in front of one, wait out the nibbles and tap when the bobber dives. Then comes the tug of war: hold to reel while the fish rests, and let go when it flicks its tail and runs, or the line snaps. Every catch sells for coins, and coins buy a longer line for deeper water, stronger rods, faster reels, better bait and two new spots: a willow creek where the current carries your line, and a deep point under the lighthouse. The clock turns from morning to night as you fish, and some fish only come out at certain times. The journal tells you where and when to find each one, and three legendary fish need a strong enough rod. Your progress saves on this device, so you can fish a little at a time.

• Eighteen fish to collect across a lily pond, a willow creek and a deep lighthouse point, each drawn with its own colors and markings.
• A readable tug of war: reel while the fish rests, let go when it runs, and tire it out before it takes all your line.
• A clock that turns from morning to day, evening and night, with fish that only come out at certain times.
• Upgrades that change how you fish: a longer line for deeper water, rods that hold more tension, faster reels and better bait.
• Three legendary fish, a journal that says where and when to find every species, and records for the biggest of each.

How to play

1. Press Start fishing. Fish swim as dark shadows in the Shallows, the Middle and the Deep. You can see their size, not their species.
2. Tap the water just in front of a fish to cast there. Your line reaches only the Shallows at first; buy a longer line to fish deeper.
3. A curious fish swims over and nibbles. Wait. When the bobber dives under and the message says Bite, tap to hook it. Tapping during a nibble scares it off.
4. Hold to reel while the fish rests. When it flicks its tail it is about to run: let go, or the tension climbs and the line snaps. A tired fish stops running, so reel it home.
5. Landed fish sell for coins automatically. Spend coins in the Shop on line, rods, reels and bait, and unlock Willow Creek and Lighthouse Point from the spot button.
6. Open the journal to see every fish, where it lives, the time it comes out and, for legendary fish, the rod you need. Catch all 18 to fill it.

Controls

• Touch or mouse: tap the water to cast, tap again to hook, then press and hold anywhere on the lake (or the Hold to reel button) to reel.
• Keyboard: focus the lake, move the aim with the arrow keys, press Space or Enter to cast and hook, and hold Space or Enter to reel. Escape reels your line back in.
• Use the Shop, journal and spot buttons at the top, and the toolbar for pause, help, restart, optional sound and fullscreen.

Tips worth knowing

• Cast just ahead of a fish, in the direction it is swimming, and in its depth band. Fish only notice a lure at their own depth.
• Nibbles are the fish testing the bait. Keep your hands still until the bobber dives right under.
• At Willow Creek the current carries your line downstream, so cast a little upstream (to the left) of the fish you want.
• Reeling into a run tires a fish faster, but only do it when the tension bar is low. Stronger rods make that much safer.
• Big shadows pay the most but fight the longest. When the clock is about to change, finish with quick small fish instead.

Accessibility

• Everything can be played with a keyboard: arrow keys aim, Space or Enter casts, hooks and (held) reels, and every menu button is reachable with Tab.
• The bite, the fish’s mood and the line tension are shown in words as well as in the scene and meter colors.
• Reduced motion stills the waves, weeds, bubbles and card animations. Fish still swim, because finding them is the game.
• There is a hook timer of about three quarters of a second (longer with better bait); nothing else is timed, and the clock pauses whenever a card or menu is open.
• Sound is optional and never needed to play.