I thought Fishing Shop Simulator was a joke after I saw mechs in ancient Rome, but after two hours with its demo, I'm hooked

As much as I love janky, often surface-level fishing minigames that are crammed into almost everything these days, I've never been one for an actual fishing game. That was until YouTube randomly recommended me the intro cinematic from Fishing Shop Simulator, whose thumbnail piqued my curiosity like no other: why was there a smouldering city with WWII planes flying overhead and a mech stomping through next to the words Fishing Shop Simulator? I immediately downloaded the demo, and it's as barmy as it sounds.

Made by solo dev Sinqnew, Fishing Shop Simulator is a fishing sim set in the future (I think), after a civilisation has been destroyed by war. There are ancient-looking buildings plonked right next to tanks, battleships, and mech suits, so it's a bit hard to tell at times.

Even for a very early demo build, this setting is instantly more interesting than what you'd usually see in a fishing sim. Fishing in a pond that looks like the Second World War took place in ancient Rome is a unique but captivating vibe.

Of course, you'll need to do some fishing. You get bait specific to each region (though here they're in little Pokémon-like card packs), and you cast your line, reeling it back in when you've got a bite. It's simple but it's satisfying, especially when you get your first rare, shiny foil fish. I've been using them to decorate fish tanks in my shop, raising the value of my other stock. Look at my cosy little shop, you can see why business is booming:

The more fish you sell, the further you can get in the tech tree, unlocking better shelves, weighing scales, decorations, a bigger shop, and so on. You can even hire underlings to fish ponds for you, but you'll have to pay them a wage, which is tricky when the government comes calling for taxes.

That leads me back to Fishing Shop Simulator's unique setting. As you progress, the town goes from a crumbling ruin with nothing more than tents into a shanty town and presumably further, akin to Civilization, in the full game.

It's admittedly barebones in the demo—every NPC is seemingly a raging alcoholic wearing one of two coat options—but it's satisfying to see the area change as you upgrade your digs. Of course, the government wants its cut, so every few days an airship arrives and you'll have to pay a large sum of money to avoid gaining interest. If you're forward-thinking, you can reduce your tax by contributing to the town's loan, but that also cuts into your immediate profits, and it's hard work fishing in the apocalypse.

Evidently, there's a lot more going on in Fishing Shop Simulator than when I first saw it and assumed it was a joke. After playing its short demo for almost two hours and loving it, I'll be keeping my eyes on it, as more biomes are added, the tech tree is expanded, and the world becomes more detailed.