Three months after unveiling UMIGARI for the first tine, Japanese indie developer Chilla’s Art has announced that the bizarre fishing game will finally release on February 4 at 8:00 am UTC for PC. The updated release date follows a mislabeled post and trailer.
Similar to other Chilla’s Art titles like The Convenience Store and Shinkansen 0, UMIGARI takes everyday scenarios in Japan and turns them on their head. As a fisherman, your job is to hunt for fish while sailing foggy Japanese waters all alone. These fish (which get progressively stranger as you play) can be processed into bait or sold to fishmongers. Using the money earned from your catch, you can upgrade your hunting harpoons, improve your boat’s fuel capacity and speed, as well as customize the look of your seafaring vessel.
While UMIGARI features several strange phenomena, such as fish-looking fishmongers and sea creatures the size of a house, it isn’t meant to be a hardcore horror experience. The developers explicitly say that the game is unlike their previous titles and classify the horror intensity as “very light.”
UMIGARI appears to be more about the experience of sailing and making new, surreal discoveries rather than scaring the pants off you. With unique locations to explore (is that an underwater city in the trailer?) and massive, unnamed creatures to hunt, there are more than enough incentives for you to get your sea legs ready.
UMIGARI is set to release on February 4 for Windows (Steam). A free demo is also available.
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