Prototype Development #0
🏝 Inspiration: Zelda by the Sea
Once on vacation by the sea, my kid and I took a Nintendo Switch with us and took turns playing Zelda. There was this fun little minigame where you could walk up to a pond and fish using a really simple mechanic.
So when we came back home, naturally the first thing I wanted to do was try to recreate it. As it often happens: you see an interesting mechanic or feature, and you have to try implementing it. What if it actually works?
⚙️ First Sketches: Water and Gravity
My first attempt was simple. I decided that everything below a certain point on screen is considered "water", and gravity down there is much lower. I tried throwing an object into free fall.
Already looked kind of impressive. So I kept going — added a fishing rod and a fishing line.
🎣 Fishing Line Logic
There’s a small trick with the line. It’s basically one or two lines: from the rod to the hook (if it’s in the air), or from the rod to the water, then another one from water to hook.
The midpoint between them shifts toward the fisherman as the hook gets closer — that creates the illusion of a tight or loose line.
🐟 Simulating Fish Behavior
Next up: fish. I created a simple object that could only move underwater, inside a bounded area (marked in purple for debugging).
The fish just picks a random nearby point and swims there, then waits. Sometimes it changes its mind and swims elsewhere — after all, it's a fish. :)
🏃 Fish Reactions to Disturbance
Here’s the fun part: interaction. I thought about what fish might fear — and what might attract them.
Almost certainly, fish dislike sudden movement.
Almost certainly, fish dislike sudden movement.
So: if something splashes into the water, they should flee. Same goes for pulling the hook too quickly — it should scare them off.
Yes, the GIF is a bit of an eyesore, but here’s what’s happening: a grid holds disturbance data. Negative values mean something hit or moved too suddenly. These fade back to zero over time.
Red cells mark "scared" zones. Now something has to attract them too, right? Like a slow-moving bait or a shiny object.
✨ Attraction Zones
So here’s the second chaotic GIF. This time, the grid also holds positive values.
If the hook moves slowly, it leaves a “trail of tastiness.” Fish like that — they might interrupt their current behavior and pick a new destination inside the attractive zone.
That creates a more natural-looking response.
🌿 Visual Polish
I added a gradient, seaweed, a bit of distortion to simulate light refraction. And now, if a fish hesitates near the hook and you pull fast — you can catch it.
You could even take a photo with your catch. :)
📖 Turning the Prototype into a Game
It felt like the core idea was solved. I assumed this prototype would be forgotten in the "folder of unused ideas."
But then my friend @limitium stepped in and suggested a narrative: a small forest village facing a natural disaster that forces the people to flee.
As they escape across lakes and rivers, they fish for survival. They might starve, get poisoned — or even be killed.
🗺 Lake Network and World Map Generation
We decided to build a lake-to-lake journey system — a tree-like structure leading from start to finish. I used layered Perlin noise to generate the elevation map and water zones.
I’m thinking about making a separate tech-focused post just on that part. But for now — let’s enjoy the visual progress. :)
🌟 The “Happy Path” Concept
Time to structure the global map a bit. Since there’s a disaster chasing the village, there’s always a forward momentum.
@limitium had a brilliant idea: what if there’s only one guaranteed route (the “happy path”) where there's enough fish to make it all the way to the end? All other branches are randomized.
That means only a few villagers would survive. Other ponds might be empty, poisoned, or risky.
🧭 Exploration & Scouting
Since moving the whole group between ponds costs a lot of food, the player can choose to send scouts ahead.
This costs some resources but might reveal a pond with enough fish or show that it's too dangerous. Sometimes… there might be bandits waiting — and the whole group could be lost.
🎬 Final Thoughts
This may still be just a technical demo. The story needs more development, sharper moments, maybe some variety in gameplay.
But I really want to finish it. Or maybe start fresh in Unity — focusing less on systems and more on narrative. I originally built it in Java with libGDX.
What would you add or change?
Should I rebuild it in Unity and finally finish it?
Should I rebuild it in Unity and finally finish it?
zip
dev-pack.zip56.10 Mb
Should I keep building this game further?
Yes! Please continue, it’s already cool.
3 votes
Maybe - but add more story/interaction.
Nah, better start fresh in Unity.
2 votes
5 users voted
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Виктор Митин
1) may be introduce mechanics where you can buy/produce more types of baits with different characteristics i.e. more attractive for different fish types 2) perks you can buy or change for internal resources: like one time bait you can through to the water and attract more fish to certain area, make fish indifferent to disturbance for limited time and etc 3) day/night and weather conditions
Aug 07 2025 16:04 
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