How to Fish Troubleshooting: Known Issues and Fixes
Contents
How to Fish launched on 20 August 2026 and received at least seven patches in its first week. Most of the problems being written up in reviews are already fixed — the only question is whether your copy has updated. Below is a “symptom → the version that fixed it” table.
The fix table
| Symptom | Fixed in | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Black or grey screen instead of the game | 1.0.4 | 21 Aug 2026 |
| Bare-hands final boss achievement not granted | 1.0.4 | 21 Aug 2026 |
| Server would not create due to a special character in its name | 1.0.4 | 21 Aug 2026 |
| No way to invert the X/Y axes | 1.0.5 | 22 Aug 2026 |
| Minimum frame limit would not go below 50 | 1.0.5 | 22 Aug 2026 |
| Travel to an already unlocked island failed | 1.0.5 | 22 Aug 2026 |
| Invisible slot machine skin at 4K | 1.0.5 | 22 Aug 2026 |
| Drip creature achievement counted one short | 1.0.5 | 22 Aug 2026 |
| A griefer could end the session instantly | 1.0.5 | 22 Aug 2026 |
| The game loaded broken saves | 1.0.6 | 23 Aug 2026 |
| Save corruption | 1.0.9 | 24 Aug 2026 |
| Fire sizzling played at full volume regardless of settings | 1.0.8 | 24 Aug 2026 |
| Beer bleeding never stopped | 1.0.10 | 27 Aug 2026 |
| Tuna and albatross stopped respawning | 1.0.10 | 27 Aug 2026 |
| Roulette ticked forever, the ball clipped through | 1.0.10 | 27 Aug 2026 |
| Items fell through the level | 1.0.10 | 27 Aug 2026 |
| A seagull took an item straight out of your hands | 1.0.10 | 27 Aug 2026 |
| “Last played” showed UTC instead of local time | 1.0.10 | 27 Aug 2026 |
Saves: where they live and how not to lose them
Progress files are stored here:
C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\LocalLow\Dazed Games\How to Fish\SavesSince patch 1.0.6 the game writes a save when you pick Save, when you return to the main menu, when you quit and automatically once a minute. The same patch added a file check before loading — that is what stops a corrupted save from loading instead of breaking the session. Patch 1.0.9 separately fixed the save corruption itself.
⚠️ If you plan to change anything by hand, copy the whole Saves folder first. The developers have nowhere promised recovery of lost progress.
Co-op will not connect
Since version 1.0.9 the main menu carries a Steam relay connection status line. The logic is simple:
- text not red — the relay connection is up, the problem is elsewhere;
- text red — the game cannot see the relay. The developers ask for these cases to be reported in the common-bugs channel on their Discord.
Patch 1.0.10 additionally lengthened the connection timeout — some of the drops were simply premature disconnects. Lobby sizes and private sessions are covered in the separate co-op guide.
The small settings people look for most
- X/Y axis inversion — added in 1.0.5, under the control settings.
- Minimum frame limit — before 1.0.5 it would not go below 50, now the floor is 30. That matters on weaker machines.
- PlayStation controller glyphs — added in 1.0.8. Before that DualShock and DualSense pads showed the wrong button prompts.
- Fire volume — since 1.0.8 the sizzling is tied to the FX slider.
- Version number — since 1.0.10 it is written to player.log. That is the first thing to check when you are not sure the game has updated.
If the game will not start at all
The official minimum requirements from the Steam page:
| Component | Minimum |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 or newer, 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-5257U / AMD Ryzen 3 1200 |
| Memory | 8 GB |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 1050 / Radeon RX 460 |
| Storage | 1 GB |
| Network | broadband connection |
There is one platform — Windows. There are no macOS, Linux or console versions.
What we are not claiming
⚠️ We do not offer “universal fixes” such as registry edits or third-party patchers. Everything listed above is what the developers themselves described in their patch notes. If your problem is not in the table, we will not invent a solution for it.
Next
If the game runs and the question is about playing it, start with the beginner guide. The achievement list with percentages is here.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the game store saves?
In C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\LocalLow\Dazed Games\How to Fish\Saves. That is the folder to copy before experimenting.
What do I do if a save disappeared?
Patch 1.0.6 added a file check before loading and 1.0.9 fixed save corruption. Update to the latest version first.
Why will co-op not connect?
Since 1.0.9 the main menu shows the Steam relay connection status. Red text means a network-side problem — the developers ask you to report it in the common-bugs channel on their Discord.
Why is the slot machine skin invisible at 4K?
That was a bug, fixed in patch 1.0.5 of 22 August 2026.
The game will not launch — what are the minimum requirements?
Windows 10 or newer 64-bit, Intel Core i5-5257U or AMD Ryzen 3 1200, 8 GB RAM, GeForce GTX 1050 or Radeon RX 460, 1 GB of storage and a broadband connection.