Ahead of the Game

• Feed your fish and have them make money for you
• Prettify your aquarium with the money you make
• Then feed your fish and do it all over again

It’s all about watching fish online and offline in this week’s Ahead of the Game series, where we tell you all about a new mobile endeavour that’s playable in one form or another despite its unofficial launch. 

I’m the type of scaredy-cat who refuses to even look at my aunt’s pet goldfish, let alone torture myself with an aquarium of my own. The fact that Chillquarium got me interested should tell you just how chill it actually is – and with its relaxing soundtrack bopping along in the background, it really is as low-key as it advertises itself to be.

The idle sim basically has you buying and feeding all kinds of fishies, then waiting until they’re full-grown so you can sell them and buy them again. There’s a whole lotta waiting around, in fact, because adult fish earn money every day, and if you keep at it, you might just snag one that fetches for a higher price – or you can choose to keep them around, making money for you so you don’t have to lift a finger.

It’s so chill that you don’t actually need to do much – just leave your fishies be, log off, and come back whenever you feel like it to see what’s changed. It’s similar to Neko Atsume in that sense – you don’t actively play the game per se, but you do need to manage how you want to earn those big bucks.

Whatever money you make, you also spend to prettify your aquarium – such is the totally meditative cycle of this lovely little gem. And honestly, that’s more than enough.

So, how do you play Chillquarium?

You can give it a go on Early Access if you’re on Android, but if you’re on iOS, it’s up for pre-order at the moment. I do wish the ads weren’t as intrusive as they are – rewarded ads that you choose to click on are definitely way more chill. Here’s hoping it gets improved upon once Chillquarium officially launches!