''Fishdom'' is a

puzzle game A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct or fun solution of the puzzle ...

developed by

Playrix Playrix Holding Ltd., also known as Playrix Entertainment and Playrix Games, is a developer of free-to-play mobile games behind titles such as ''Township'', ''Fishdom'', ''Homescapes'', and ''Gardenscapes''. The company was founded in 2004 by Dmi ...

for

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Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

Nintendo DSi The is a dual-screen handheld game console released by Nintendo. The console launched in Japan on November 1, 2008, and worldwide beginning in April 2009. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony In ...

Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...

Android Android may refer to: Science and technology * Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system ** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

, and

iPadOS iPadOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. for its iPad line of tablet computers. It is a rebranded variant of iOS, the operating system used by Apple's iPhones, renamed to reflect the diverging features of the two product l ...

. The game was launched 18 June 2008.

Gameplay

The object of the game is to solve

puzzles A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct or fun solution of the puzzle ...

and earn coins to set up and decorate a virtual

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

. Using in-game currency the player is able to purchase different species of fish, decorations, and "comfort" items to make the environment more pleasant for pet fishes. Filling all of the three meter gauges measuring the progress will unlock one of the trophies: bronze, silver, or gold. Adorned and themed tanks can be used as a

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

screensaver. Levels are based on a standard for "

match three A tile-matching video game is a type of puzzle video game where the player manipulates tiles in order to make them disappear according to a matching criterion. In many tile-matching games, that criterion is to place a given number of tiles of the ...

" mechanics: the player swaps two adjacent gems to make matches of three or more. Each of the rounds takes place on a different

grid Grid, The Grid, or GRID may refer to: Common usage * Cattle grid or stock grid, a type of obstacle is used to prevent livestock from crossing the road * Grid reference, used to define a location on a map Arts, entertainment, and media * News g ...

and poses a challenge earning every golden tile by matching gems over them at least once. Some of the tiles are locked and have a different color; to unlock them the player should match gems over a couple of times. When three or more objects are matched simultaneously, one of the bonuses appears:

firecracker A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental t ...

s, depth bombs, dynamite charges, or lightning. The puzzle board should be cleared before the time limit is over, otherwise play returns to the aquarium rather than progressing to the next level. The platform also provides mini-games, holiday-themed upgrades, pearl tournament challenges, and 3D-simulation of a scuba mask which allows the user to dive into the deep sea. By 2019, Playrix changed the gaming concept to "

freemium Freemium, a portmanteau of the words "free" and "premium," is a pricing strategy by which a basic product or service is provided free of charge, but money (a premium) is charged for additional features, services, or virtual (online) or physical (o ...

", in which various currencies such as diamonds can also be purchased in the app.

Reception

The original game was released in 2008 for PC and was adapted for smartphones by 2015. In addition, several sequels have been launched. ''Fishdom'' ranks among the most popular games from developer Playrix and received generally positive reviews.

iParenting Media iParenting Media was a company and then a unit of Disney Online that operated web sites, provided apps, and gave widely recognized prizes for content related to children and parenting. It was a separate company prior to the Disney acquisition. The ...

named Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey one of the Greatest Video Games of 2009. According to the analytics of Sensor Tower, Fishdom was a top game in the category Puzzle&Decorate with around 15.6 million downloads in 2020. The game was ranked 16th on the annual

App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...

list of the best free games (8th for

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...

, 19th for iPhone). According to

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, the game was one of the ten most downloaded puzzle gaming apps as of 2021.

Negative reception

Despite seemingly good reception at first, some believe the game to be

pay-to-win Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...

, as it appears to them that the game has nearly impossible levels, which usually need the game's boosters to easily beat. Others also call out the game for

false advertising False advertising is defined as the act of publishing, transmitting, or otherwise publicly circulating an advertisement containing a false claim, or statement, made intentionally (or recklessly) to promote the sale of property, goods, or servic ...

, since the pin-pulling puzzles in the advertisements are rarely seen in-game. This portion of negative reception can also be applied to

's other games, such as ''

Homescapes ''Homescapes'' is a casual free-to-play puzzle game. It was developed and launched by Playrix in 2017 as a successor to their 2016 match-3 game, ''Gardenscapes''. The storyline narrates about attempts of the game's protagonist, Austin the Butler, ...

'' and '' Gardenscapes: New Acres'', some also applying it to the company itself.

References

External links

* {{official, https://www.playrix.com/en/games/fishdom
Overview of Fishdom
in The Tech Journal 2008 video games 2020s fads and trends Android (operating system) games Casual games Classic Mac OS games Facebook games Flash games IOS games Mobile games Nintendo 3DS games Nintendo DS games Nintendo DSi games Playrix games Single-player video games Tile-matching video games Vertically-oriented video games Video games developed in Russia Video games with underwater settings Windows games Windows Phone games