PSBlog Feed: Fishbowl, a tender story of grief and hope, releases April 2 on PS5

[Commander Fury]

The loss of a loved one is hard to move through. In Fishbowl, Alo grieves the passing of her grandmother while trying her best to take care of work, chores, and herself. Experience a story filled with hope, friendship, and the will to keep going when Fishbowl launches on April 2 on PS5. The two of us have been working on Fishbowl for the past five years, and we are happy to have it finally in your hands. Leading up to release day, we are excited to announce that the pre-orders for Fishbowl are now open!

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Take care of your home, yourself, your belongings, and your mood

Much like real life, Alo’s mood determines the things you can and cannot do in Alo’s home. Take a warm shower, have a yummy lunch, keep yourself hydrated, and taking care of yourself will make Alo sprout into a fresh mood. On the other hand, doom-scrolling social media or binge-watching when you’re supposed to be working will tank her mood down to a gloomy cloud. As new activities get unlocked inside Alo’s home, whether you are ‘in the mood’ to do them will have a big role to play in your story. We hope the moodmeter in Fishbowl encourages our players to keep their own moodmeter up IRL after they play Fishbowl. 

Stay in touch with people to help you keep your loneliness at bay

Although Alo is alone in her apartment, she has the company of people who care deeply about her through video calls. In Fishbowl, video calls feature a branching mechanic that gives you choices about how to respond. The options you receive showcase the complexity of Alo’s mind during a tough time. The sprout option is usually vulnerable, honest, and grounded in her true feelings. The moon option is melancholic, impervious, and sometimes the kind to brush things off, and the cloud option is that of self-doubt, avoidance, and at times feeling like an imposter is your own life.

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Work from home as a video editor, meet new colleagues, and learn new skills

Work days are usually packed with a fun matching game where your task is to place the correct video snippet into its designated track. As you get familiar with the game, you will meet colleagues who teach you how to slow down the file if you need to, undo a mistake that you made, or even become invincible by taking on the skill of an expert just for a little bit. Enjoy the company of your colleagues, keep up with the video files, and do your best each day.

Unpack your late grandmother’s belongings and rediscover your past

In Fishbowl, every object has a story to tell, and you uncover these objects by playing a sliding puzzle game. Objects that give you happy, light, and joyful memories are easy to unpack, while those that are full of heaviness are harder to rummage through. Emotions thoughtfully run across the simplest interactions and mechanics in Fishbowl. The objects in these puzzles are full of lore and sentimentality and also showcase Indian culture, our beautiful arts and crafts like block printing, woodwork, embroidery, and much more. 

Plunge into heartfelt childhood memories, meet old friends, revisit old tales

With the help of an unlikely companion in the form of a magical toy fish, Alo relives sweet memories from her past. Evenings spent at the park with her grandma, avoiding homework with her childhood best friends, and shivering under a blanket while watching a horror movie or two. Inspired by one of our favourite Studio Ghibli films, Only Yesterday, we use memories as vignettes to tell you more about Alo’s journey, her core memories, and the things that shaped her into the adult she is today.

Explore a dark world of dreams where the choices you make reveal a different past

While Alo struggles through grief, her suppressed emotions manifest in her dreams. The way you live each day with Alo at home will be connected to the choices you are allowed to make in the dream sequences. These choices will uncover different stories from Alo’s past and will also guide your journey to the present. There are many parts of Fishbowl peppered with little secrets that connect to the ending of our story. Remember, no matter what, you got through the day.

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Fishbowl’s pre-orders are now open, and we have a special pre-order bonus for our PS5 players. If you pre-order the game, you will get to experience Fishbowl 72 hours before the official launch day. We are close to the finish line, and we need all your support to take us through. You and Alo are in this together, and we can’t wait for you to spend a month at home with her.

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