Koi

It’s a smart, genuine little game, with soul and a story to tell, and wraps it within one of the best examples we’ve seen to date of serenity as a play concept.

Koi comes close to being a remarkable indie title. The audiovisual design work is incredibly cohesive, and despite the gameplay simplicity, it does enough to keep your attention for its short play time. Koi’s issues lie with the weak delivery of its environmental message that unfortunately highlights the shortcomings found in such a simple game.

Koi’s simplistic approach is ultimately its downfall. The game offers little to no challenge, is fairly shallow and is way too short even by today’s standards. It feels like so much more could have been done with this game.

It's a shame since there's a lot of potential here, but Koi doesn't manage to realize it.

KOI is a game that knows how to push your buttons. It draws you in with its beautiful soundscape and enchanting premise, but then takes you through an often shallow experience with some frustrating moments that discord with its otherwise serene exterior. It's a game which seems far more suited to mobile play than console, where longer play sessions highlight its lack of depth. It has moments of beauty, and comments on larger, prominent ecological issues – but ultimately feels like a missed opportunity.

Sadly, Koi is so easily forgettable and dull that I struggled with finding things to even say about it.

I like the idea of taking a fish on an unconventional journey, but Koi isn't atmospheric or relaxing enough to be a chill game, and the gameplay isn't substantial or clever enough to make it a puzzler.