Drawquarium: draw a fish, watch it fall in love, and keep it as your wallpaper

The day before launch, Kaleb, the creator of Drawquarium, posted a message titled "Before You Buy Drawquarium". The game had just passed 200,000 wishlists, more than 130,000 of them in a few weeks, after trailers that went viral. And the message said, in essence: I am grateful, but I am also a little scared. With this much attention, expectations can grow fast.

A developer asking people to temper their enthusiasm is rare. It is also the best way to approach the game.

Drawquarium is a small, relaxing sandbox. You draw your fish and plants, and they come to life in your aquarium. You feed them, care for them, and collect golden scales to unlock decorations and tools. No need to know how to draw: ready-made fish are available, and templates help you get started.

The best part is that the creatures interact. Friendships, rivalries, even love stories: two fish can bicker, become enemies, or find their soulmate and have babies. Watching a fish you drew in thirty seconds court another one is absurdly touching.

And the aquarium can live on your desktop, as an animated wallpaper. That is probably where it truly belongs: not a session you launch, but a little world living behind your windows while you work.

Kaleb is right to warn people. There is no strong goal, no challenge, and anyone expecting a real aquarium management game will be disappointed. But for what it is, a creative, pretty and endearing toy, Drawquarium does exactly what it promises. Its creator works as a 3D artist in film, and it shows in how the water and the fish are rendered.

Post your finest fish on the InsertCoins Discord, even if it looks like a potato. Especially if it looks like a potato.