{"rewrite":{"id":"r_1214a8224e06e34d3b2645a6","clusterId":"c_27cbe5271f83865070e3a138","slug":"how-to-fish-surpasses-20-000-concurrent-players-on-steam","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"How to Fish Surpasses 20,000 Concurrent Players on Steam","summary":"Dazed Games released the co-op fishing simulator How to Fish on Steam on August 20, and the game has already drawn a large audience. According to SteamDB, the title surpassed 20,000 concurrent players shortly after launch, and at the time of writing it holds an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam, with 96% of roughly 780 user reviews positive. How to Fish is a physics-based, first-person fishing simulation that supports single-player and online co-op for up to four players. The premise has the player washed ashore on a small island after a boating accident while drinking, and they must earn money by catching and selling fish to buy better gear and weapons. The game's hook is that fishing is not limited to rods: players can use knives, handguns, shotguns, submachine guns, and sniper rifles to take down fish, and can also cook catches on a grill, gamble with fish as capital, and perform acrobatic trick shots for bonus money. Co-op adds chaos, with seagulls stealing prey and players accidentally shooting each other. The game is available for PC on Steam, and a launch sale offers it at 545 yen, 38% off the regular 880 yen price, until August 28.","whyItMatters":"The game's immediate popularity, with over 20,000 concurrent players and a 96% positive review rate, suggests that its blend of fishing with gunplay and party-game chaos is resonating with a broad Steam audience, a notable success for a small indie studio.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eDazed Games is a Sweden-based indie studio co-founded by Melvin Olsson and Carl-Vilhelm Johansson. The pair previously released \u003cem\u003eOut of Hand: Deluxe\u003c/em\u003e, a party game for up to eight players.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe developer has been posting the development process on its official X account, showing elements added one by one: grilling fish, melee attacks, seagull theft, and a growing arsenal of firearms. Denfaminicogamer notes the game\u0026#39;s weapon list goes beyond the guns the summary covered, adding brass knuckles and dynamite to the rod alternatives.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe game supports Japanese display and Japanese voice, per the Steam store page. Characters can be customized to the player\u0026#39;s preferred appearance. Clearing quests and defeating bosses unlocks new islands, and the further a player advances, the more dangerous the creatures and the better the obtainable equipment become.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFish come in multiple types and rarity levels, with a collection element tied to catching them all. Co-op adds its own hazards beyond friendly fire: players can be grabbed by birds and carried into the air, and companions may run off to the casino mid-boss-fight. Automaton describes the result as a party game where chaotic backstabbing with like-minded companions is as much the point as escaping the island.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"How to Fish's 20,000 concurrent players arrived in a genre where novelty is the only durable hook. Dazed Games built the chaos into the pitch: guns, gambling, and friendly fire are the product, not the fishing.","twitterPost":"How to Fish's 20k concurrent players show the hook isn't fishing, it's the anarchy. Dazed Games sells the accidental shootouts as the feature.","threadsPost":"How to Fish cleared 20,000 concurrent players on Steam because Dazed Games understood the genre's ceiling. Fishing sims are cozy by default; this one adds guns, gambling, and friendly fire, and the chaos is the selling point. The 96% positive rating suggests the audience wants the anarchy, not the fish.","newsletterBlurb":"Dazed Games' chaotic co-op fishing sim How to Fish has blown past 20,000 concurrent players on Steam, earning an Overwhelmingly Positive rating. The game lets you catch fish with guns, gamble with your haul, and get carried off by birds. A launch sale runs until August 28.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260821-461559/\",\"title\":\"Max 4-Player Co-op 'Do-Anything' Fishing Sim 'How to Fish' Explodes in Popularity, Surpassing 20,000 Concurrent Players. Catch Anything with Guns, Accidental Shots and Gambling Included in This Lawless Fisherman Life\"},{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260821t\",\"title\":\"Chaotic Fishing Game 'How to Fish' Surpasses 20,000 Concurrent Players Right After Release; All You Need for Fishing Is an Assault Rifle\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/08/21/171022.html\",\"title\":\"魚を釣ったら銃で\\\"シメる\\\"！最大4人協力対応の物理演算釣りシム『How to Fish』配信開始で同接2万人突破-Steam\\\"圧倒的に好評\\\"の好発進\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":13336,"outputTokens":1493,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787283262,"createdAt":"2026-08-21T03:23:45.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-21T03:26:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-21T03:23:45.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_27cbe5271f83865070e3a138","canonicalTitle":"最大4人協力“やりたい放題”釣りシム『How to Fish』、さっそく同接2万人超えで人気爆発中。捕れれば銃でもなんでもOK、誤射もギャンブルもある無法漁師生活","representativeArticleId":"a_eac7de74d4864bf293a8b00b","sourceCount":4,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"How to Fish\"],\"studios\":[\"Dazed Games\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-21T01:42:02.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-21T04:55:02.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-21T04:58:08.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/035/G103514/20260821018/","title":"金，暴力，魚！　トリックショットで魚を締めたり，ギャンブルしたりと何でもアリな釣りゲーム「How to Fish」，「圧倒的に好評」スタート"},{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260821t","title":"カオスすぎる釣りゲーム『How to Fish』がリリース直後で同時接続数2万人を突破の大盛況。釣りに必要なのはアサルトライフル"},{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260821-461559/","title":"最大4人協力“やりたい放題”釣りシム『How to Fish』、さっそく同接2万人超えで人気爆発中。捕れれば銃でもなんでもOK、誤射もギャンブルもある無法漁師生活"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/08/21/171022.html","title":"魚を釣ったら銃で“シメる”！最大4人協力対応の物理演算釣りシム『How to Fish』配信開始で同接2万人突破―Steam“圧倒的に好評”の好発進"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["How to Fish"],"studios":["Dazed Games"],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["How to Fish launched on Steam on August 20, 2026, for PC.","The game surpassed 20,000 concurrent players shortly after release, according to SteamDB.","Steam user reviews are Overwhelmingly Positive, with 96% of about 780 reviews positive.","How to Fish is on sale for 545 yen, 38% off the regular 880 yen price, until August 28.","The game supports up to four-player online co-op and includes firearms, gambling, and trick shots."]}