Hello again!
The Aquarium is taking part in Steam Next Fest, and a demo is waiting for you to play right now! The festival runs from Monday, June 15 to Monday, June 22, 2026, so this is the perfect moment to jump in, try it out, and let us know what you think.
Demo Update
To go along with Next Fest, we have pushed a new update to the demo. The addition to the headline is the Aura score. You can raise it by sleeping, drinking tea or coffee, and taking showers, and a higher Aura score increases your chance of catching fish.
This update also includes a handful of fixes and improvements:
Fixed an issue where nights were too dark, both underwater and outside
Changed the UI toggle key from F12 to F6, since it was conflicting with Steam's screenshot function
Added an option to enable or disable DLSS (enabled by default on High settings)
Fixed a bug in the tutorial system
Fixed several silent exceptions
The Village and Daily Life
We would also like to talk about some features that will be available in the full game. The biggest addition in the full release is the village, a place full of interactive NPCs and a social hub where you can barter, shop, handle basic crafting, and pick up side quests.
On top of that, the main quest module brings a story arc to the game. Tourists- visitors who arrive on roughly 3 to 4-day cycles- shop in the village, and then leave, adding a new layer to the economy.
We want the village to be the heart of cozy life. Heading out to fish in the morning, chatting with NPCs in the village in the afternoon, tending to your aquarium in the evening. And sometimes, getting ready with sweet anticipation for the day a group of tourists is about to arrive. That is the kind of day we are imagining.
New Mechanics and Areas to Explore
There are also new places to explore and new mechanics coming in the full release.
The ocean environment, a new habitat with new species
Alternative fish-catching mechanics
Underwater coral harvesting
ATV riding and fast travel across the world
Gathering from nature, collecting decorations, plants, and various raw materials from the environment
Each of these deserves its own devlog, and we will be covering them one by one in the coming weeks.
Thanks for playing and for all your feedback.
It truly helps us make the game better.