The 5 Best Fish Games on PC

Start a virtual aquarium on your computer

By
Courtney Marchelletta
Courtney Marchelletta
Writer
Courtney Marchelletta is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire. gaming enthusiast, and sim player who proves video games aren't just for guys.
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Updated on December 30, 2020

While many video games feature fishing as a main feature or side activity, sometimes you don't want to only catch fish. Maybe you want to grow a virtual aquarium instead. Here are five of the best fish games on PC that let you breed and care for a variety of sea creatures.

01
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Best Tycoon-Like Fish Simulator: Megaquarium

A player manages their tanks in the video game Megaquarium.

Twice Circled
What We Like

  • Almost 100 marine species.

  • Customize settings and challenges in Sandbox mode.

  • Ten-level story campaign that teaches you the game.

What We Don't Like

  • Some systems are difficult to learn.

  • Could use some quality of life tweaks.

Megaquarium is a theme park management tycoon game that focuses on designing your own aquarium full of fish, staff, and guests. You start with a few tanks, and later find yourself in charge of a huge building filled with hundreds of guests, a robust staff, and a large collection of aquatic creatures that have their own unique care requirements. If you like to micromanage, this game will keep you happily busy for hours and hours.

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02
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Best Real-Time Virtual Aquarium: Fish Tycoon 2

A virtual aquarium in Fish Tycoon 2.

Last Day of Work
What We Like

  • Free to play.

  • Over 400 unique species.

What We Don't Like

  • Upgrades and items are expensive.

  • Lots of ads.

Fish Tycoon 2: Virtual Aquarium is a free-to-play simulation game where you breed and sell fish, decorate your tank, and make your pet store as awesome as possible. It has over 400 unique species of fish, plenty of upgrades and power-ups, and a colorful mascot you can recruit to improve your store.

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03
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Best Aquarium Simulator: Fish Farm 3

Colorful fish swim in a virtual aquarium in Fish Farm 3

BitBros
What We Like

  • You can recolor your fish.

  • Night mode.

  • Put unused items into storage instead of selling them.

What We Don't Like

  • Gameplay is a bit slow.

  • Some larger species are exorbitantly expensive.

In Fish Farm 3, you can buy, breed, cross-breed, and sell a variety of freshwater and saltwater fish, including whales, dolphins, sharks, and turtles. Like other aquarium sims, it lets you earn money from selling your fish and decorate your tanks. It also tasks you with keeping your stock alive by regularly feeding them and changing their water. With over 380 realistically rendered species and 20 tanks, Fish Farm 3 will keep piscine enthusiasts busy for dozens of hours.

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04
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Best Non-Realistic Fish Game: Insaniquarium

A weird cat fish (?) swims by in Insaniquarium.

PopCap Games
What We Like

  • Four game modes: Adventure, Timed, Challenge, and Virtual Tank

  • Boss battles.

  • Create a personalized aquarium screensaver.

What We Don't Like

  • It's stuck on a lower resolution.

Insaniquarium is from PopCap Games, the makers behind hits like Plants vs. Zombies and Bejeweled. Like those other titles, it's a colorful take on a well-established genre. You tend to your fish to earn coins and jewels used to buy upgrades or egg parts needed to hatch pets with special powers. These pets can even work for you by feeding your fish or protecting against alien threats. If you're looking for a fish game that throws realism out the window, give this one a try.

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05
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Best Fish Survival Game: Feed and Grow: Fish

A shark swims by in Feed and Grow: Fish.

Old B1ood
What We Like

  • Survival gameplay.

  • You get to be a fish.

What We Don't Like

  • The game never left early access.

  • Multiplayer doesn't always work.

Unlike other games on this list, Feed and Grow: Fish is a survival game where you play a fish who hunts and eats other fish. Doing so lets you grow into larger and larger creatures. It also features a multiplayer component so you can compete with other players to be the dominant aquatic lifeform. Although the game never left Steam Early Access, there's still plenty of things here to enjoy.

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