Aiming for the Impossible: Piisu Inc. Launches ‘Fish Them All!’ Worldwide

TOKYO – In an era where mobile gaming is often defined by complex battle royales or passive idle experiences, a new challenger from the Japanese indie scene is asking players to embrace a singular, daunting, and arguably absurd mission: catch every single fish in the sea. Japanese development studio Piisu Inc. has officially announced the global release of Fish Them All!, a high-octane fishing simulator now available on both Android and iOS platforms.

The premise is as straightforward as its title suggests, yet it carries a mathematical weight that has already begun to turn heads in the indie community. The game presents players with a global counter set at 10 million—the total number of fish currently inhabiting the game’s digital oceans—and tasks them with reducing that number to zero.

Main Facts: A New Breed of Active Fishing

Fish Them All! is not your grandfather’s patient fishing simulator. Eschewing the slow, meditative pace typically associated with the genre, Piisu Inc. has opted for a "hyper-active" loop. The game functions on a high-frequency cycle where individual fishing "runs" last between 30 and 60 seconds.

The core mechanics are stripped down to a three-button interface, designed for accessibility while maintaining a high ceiling for efficiency. Players pilot a modest vessel, drop a line into the depths, and must manually navigate their hook to snag as many creatures as possible before reeling them in for profit. This profit is then funneled back into an expansive skill tree that transforms the player from a lone angler into a maritime industrial powerhouse.

While the game shares DNA with the "clicker" or "incremental" genres, the developers have been adamant about one distinction: this is not an idle game. Progress requires constant player input, precision, and tactical decision-making regarding upgrade paths. The "10 million fish" goal serves as more than just a decorative progress bar; it is the central driving force of the gameplay experience.

Chronology: From Concept to Global Distribution

The journey of Fish Them All! reflects the shifting tides of the Japanese indie development landscape. Piisu Inc., a studio known for its focus on "small-loop" gameplay—titles designed to be played in the gaps of daily life—began development on the project with the intent of subverting the "Zen" nature of fishing games.

• Phase 1: Conceptualization and Prototyping: The initial design phase focused on the "feel" of the reel. Developers experimented with various session lengths before landing on the 30–60 second sweet spot, ensuring the game remained compatible with mobile lifestyles.
• Phase 2: The "Impossible Goal" Implementation: Early in development, the team decided to implement the 10-million-fish target. This was a deliberate move to differentiate the game from competitors that offer endless, goal-less loops. By providing a finite (albeit massive) end-state, they created a sense of "marathon" gaming.
• Phase 3: Domestic Testing and Feedback: Before the international launch, the game underwent rigorous balancing in the Japanese market. Feedback led to the inclusion of more "absurd" upgrades—such as UFOs and drones—to prevent the mid-game experience from feeling repetitive.
• Phase 4: Global Launch: In late 2024, Piisu Inc. pushed the game to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store simultaneously, localized for a worldwide audience. The launch included full integration of the global leaderboard systems, allowing players to see how their individual contributions chip away at the oceanic population.

Supporting Data: The Mechanics of the 10-Million-Fish Marathon

To understand the scale of Fish Them All!, one must look at the underlying economy of the game. The "10 million" figure is not merely a random number; it is a calculated milestone designed to be conquered through exponential growth.

The Upgrade Ecosystem

The game’s progression is dictated by a multi-tiered skill tree. Initial runs might yield only five or ten fish, but as players invest their earnings, the numbers scale dramatically. Key upgrade categories include:

1. Movement Speed: Crucial for reaching deep-sea schools within the 60-second time limit.
2. Hook Size and Capacity: Allowing players to snag dozens of fish in a single "sweep."
3. Automation Units: This is where the game moves into the realm of the surreal. Once players reach certain milestones, they can deploy:
   • Divers: Semi-autonomous units that assist in gathering bottom-feeders.
   • Drones: Aerial units that scout and harvest surface-level schools.
   • UFOs: Late-game "super-units" that use tractor beams to clear entire sections of the map.

Marine Diversity

Piisu Inc. has populated its digital sea with a wide array of species, each with varying "value" and "weight" in the 10-million-fish count. The roster includes:

• Common Grade: Sardines and Mackerel (high volume, low value).
• Mid-Tier: Yellowtail and Octopuses (require more precise hooking).
• Apex/Ancient Grade: Sharks and Coelacanths (rare appearances, massive profit margins).

According to early player data, the transition from manual fishing to "automated assistance" occurs roughly around the 50,000-fish mark. From there, the game shifts from a test of reflexes to a test of economic management, as players must decide whether to further boost their own rod’s power or invest in a fleet of UFOs to handle the heavy lifting.

Official Responses: Piisu Inc.’s Design Philosophy

While Piisu Inc. has maintained a relatively low profile during the launch, the studio’s lead designers have shared insights through social media and developer logs regarding the "active-only" nature of the game.

"We saw a trend in mobile gaming where the game plays itself," a spokesperson for the studio noted during a recent dev-stream. "With Fish Them All!, we wanted to bring back the ‘action’ in ‘action-incremental.’ We want the player to feel the satisfaction of every single catch. When you hit 1 million fish, we want you to know that you were the one who reeled them in, not an offline timer."

The studio also addressed the absurdity of the 10-million-fish goal. "It’s a joke that we take very seriously. At first, the player laughs at the number. Then, they realize that with the right upgrades, they can catch a thousand fish in a minute. Suddenly, the impossible becomes a matter of persistence. That psychological shift is what we are interested in exploring."

Industry analysts have noted that Piisu Inc.’s approach follows the "Katamari" philosophy—starting small and scaling to a level of magnitude that feels both ridiculous and rewarding. By keeping the game Free-to-Play on the Google Play Store, the developers are banking on the "viral" nature of the 10-million-fish challenge to build a dedicated community.

Implications: The Future of Short-Burst Mobile Gaming

The release of Fish Them All! carries several implications for the broader mobile gaming market, particularly for indie developers looking to break through the noise of AAA releases.

1. The "Micro-Session" Dominance

By limiting runs to 60 seconds, Piisu Inc. is leaning into the "snackable" content trend. As consumer attention spans shorten, games that can deliver a complete "risk-reward" cycle in under a minute are seeing higher retention rates. Fish Them All! demonstrates that a game doesn’t need a complex narrative to keep players coming back; it just needs a clear goal and a satisfying loop.

2. Subverting the Idle Genre

For years, the "Incremental" genre has moved toward "AFK" (Away From Keyboard) mechanics. Fish Them All! represents a pivot back toward active engagement. This could signal a new sub-genre—"Active-Incrementals"—where the gratification of seeing numbers go up is tied directly to physical input rather than passive waiting.

3. The Psychology of the "Mega-Goal"

Setting a goal that seems impossible (10 million) is a clever marketing and retention tool. It creates a "sunk cost" and "completionist" drive in the player base. As players share screenshots of their progress—moving from 100 fish to 1,000,000—it creates a communal sense of a shared "raid" against the digital ocean.

4. Cross-Generational Appeal

With its simple three-button control scheme and colorful, vibrant graphics, the game bridges the gap between younger players who enjoy high-speed action and older players who might prefer the strategic elements of the upgrade tree.

Conclusion: A Sea of Opportunity

Fish Them All! is a testament to the creativity currently brewing in the Japanese indie scene. It takes one of the oldest tropes in gaming—fishing—and injects it with a sense of urgency and scale that feels fresh. Whether players will actually have the stamina to reach the 10-million-fish mark remains to be seen, but Piisu Inc. has succeeded in turning a simple hobby into a grand, mechanical conquest.

As the game continues to roll out globally, the question remains: can you catch them all? The hook is in the water, the drones are in the air, and the UFOs are fueled. The sea is full, but if Piisu Inc. has its way, it won’t stay that way for long.

Fish Them All! is currently available as a free-to-play title on the Google Play Store and iOS App Store. For those interested in other unique mobile experiences, be sure to check out our recent coverage on "NEGOTIATOR: Choice Text Game," a crisis negotiation thriller that offers a much darker take on decision-based gameplay.