FISHIN' FRENZY

FISHIN' FRENZY is one of those games you open without thinking and then look up twenty minutes later. The core loop is simple: you cast a line, wait for a bite, then hit the reel-in button with the right timing to land your catch. It sounds basic, and it is, but the timing window is tuned well enough that pulling in a big fish still feels satisfying.

Controls are entirely one-thumb, which is exactly what I want from something I play on a bus. Tap to cast, hold and release to reel, and the occasional tilt of the phone to steer toward a shoal. The art leans into bright, cartoonish water and fish that flop around with real personality. There's a light collection element — you're trying to fill out a book of different catches — and that kept me coming back longer than I expected.

What I liked most is how it never nags you. Sessions can be one minute or twenty, and nothing about the pacing punishes you for putting it down. It's not a deep game and it won't stay in your rotation forever, but for a relaxed, good-humoured time-killer it does the job cleanly.

What we liked

• Genuinely relaxing, no stress pacing
• Clean one-thumb controls
• Charming, colourful fish and water animation