Meow Squad: Incremental Fishing

100% achievements in 3 hrs A downgrade from the last game Boring upgrades, gated progression, uninteresting boss fights Not much of a game in this one, more of a tech demo

Meow Squad: Incremental Fishing takes the familiar satisfaction of an incremental game and wraps it in a cheerful fishing adventure filled with cats, upgrades, collectibles, and occasional bursts of arcade action. Developed and published by Happy Universe Studios, it is designed around short fishing rounds that make progress feel immediate. Instead of demanding long uninterrupted sessions, the game lets you catch marine life, collect resources, invest in improvements, and steadily transform a humble fishing crew into an increasingly powerful operation. The core loop is intentionally straightforward. You travel through five differently styled seas and catch 18 varieties of marine life while accumulating resources needed for progression. Individual rounds are short, which gives the game a fast rhythm despite its relaxed presentation. Early catches may feel relatively modest, but improvements gradually increase your efficiency until previously demanding fishing sessions become much easier. This escalating sense of power is the main attraction, particularly for players who enjoy seeing small statistical improvements eventually produce dramatic results. A substantial talent tree gives the progression system more depth than simply purchasing a stronger net. There are more than 120 talents available, allowing collected resources to be converted into increasingly powerful fishing bonuses. The large number of upgrades means there is usually another improvement to pursue, providing frequent incentives to continue playing. The fishing net itself can also progress through 10 upgrade levels, creating another clear measurement of how far the operation has developed. The four cat sailors add personality while contributing directly to gameplay. Each sailor operates a turret capable of automatically attacking schools of fish, creating a satisfying combination of automated assistance and player-driven progression. As the squad grows stronger, the screen becomes increasingly active and productive. This fits the incremental formula nicely because the player's investments are represented by noticeable improvements rather than merely larger numbers hidden inside menus. Boss battles provide an important change of pace. Five enormous Overlords are encountered throughout the journey, shifting the experience from routine fishing into arcade-oriented confrontations. These bosses have different mechanics and require players to adapt rather than simply relying on the standard fishing loop. Defeating them is also connected to unlocking new seas, giving each encounter a meaningful role in overall progression. These battles help prevent the relaxed resource gathering from becoming too monotonous. Collection enthusiasts have an additional reason to explore, with 16 unusual collectibles scattered throughout the seas. Finding all of them gradually reveals more of the mysteries surrounding the ocean. It is a relatively simple secondary objective, but it complements the incremental structure well because it gives players something to pursue beyond maximum efficiency. Combined with the different seas, marine creatures, talents, equipment upgrades, and bosses, the collectibles provide several overlapping progression goals. Visually, the game embraces a colorful cartoon aesthetic that matches its lighthearted premise. Cats operating oversized fishing equipment and turrets give the experience a playful identity, while the transition from shallow waters toward increasingly mysterious depths provides a sense of advancement beyond the upgrade menus. The developers disclose that generative AI tools assisted with certain visual assets during development, with the final in-game material created and reviewed by professional artists. The main weakness is inherent to the incremental genre itself. Repetition is unavoidable, since fishing, gathering resources, purchasing improvements, and repeating the process form the foundation of the experience. Players expecting realistic fishing mechanics or a complicated simulation may therefore find it too simplistic. Its appeal depends heavily on whether continuously increasing efficiency, unlocking upgrades, and completing collections feels rewarding to you. The overall package is nevertheless surprisingly well focused. Five seas, five Overlords, 18 marine species, four cat sailors, more than 120 talents, 16 collectibles, 10 net upgrades, Steam achievements, and Steam Cloud support give players a healthy collection of objectives without unnecessarily complicating the basic concept. The short-round structure is particularly effective because it makes progress easy to experience in either quick sessions or longer periods of play. Steam Deck compatibility is currently listed as Unknown, meaning the game does not presently have an official Steam Deck Verified or Playable classification. Its Windows version has relatively modest hardware requirements, but that should not be interpreted as an official guarantee of flawless Steam Deck operation. Players purchasing specifically for handheld use should therefore regard Deck support as unverified for now. Meow Squad: Incremental Fishing ultimately works because its systems consistently feed into the same satisfying progression loop. Catching fish generates resources, resources unlock talents and equipment improvements, upgrades increase efficiency, sailors provide additional automated firepower, collectibles encourage continued exploration, and Overlords provide milestones between the major stages of the adventure. It is deliberately uncomplicated, but the combination of rapid progression, cute presentation, collection elements, and occasional arcade battles gives it more personality than a purely passive incremental game. It is a charming and accessible incremental experience that makes good use of its feline fishing theme while offering enough upgrades and objectives to sustain its central gameplay loop. Players who enjoy constant progression, short gameplay cycles, collecting, automation, and light arcade action should find plenty to appreciate, provided they are comfortable with the repetition that naturally accompanies the genre. Rating: 8/10