Scale of the Depths review: Some great fun with a few rough edges

, by Enzo

Scale of the Depths review: Some great fun with a few rough edges

Here we have a small project that might not grab your attention at first glance, but offers a certain sense of satisfaction and becomes growingly addictive once you dive in. Developed by the Canadian studio Glass Gecko Games, Scale the Depths transforms a mechanic that might seem trivial into a surprisingly captivating gameplay loop. Let’s set up the lines and get started!

Full steam ahead!

The premise is disarmingly simple: you catch fish, scale them, feed the customers, and upgrade your gear with the money you earn, then rinse and repeat. Presented this way, you might think it’d be hard to stay engaged with the game for several hours. And yet…

You start out on your little boat, which has only a few interactive elements, but just enough to drive the entire game. Fishing, gutting the fish, changing the bait, and interacting with customers. While the last two are relatively simple and don’t change much over time, it’s the first two that really drive the game.

The player on the boat, talking to a customer The boat and the player, showing some customization options

First step: cast your line. Those expecting passive fishing will be disappointed: here, fishing is truly at the heart of the gameplay: you must actively guide your hook into the depths to chase down the most interesting fish. Some species are fast, others more resilient, forcing you to regularly upgrade your gear to keep progressing.

That’s not all. The depths are also teeming with little secrets, items to discover, and even puzzles to solve. Nothing too impressive so far, but you can’t control your hook underwater for as long as you’d like, since a sort of countdown begins, which sorts of represents the maximum length of your line. So it will often take several attempts to reach all the puzzles and collectibles in the game.

Upgrade menu for various in-game items such as hooks and buckets Fishing in progress with a line extending into a school of fish The line attempting to catch fish Menu showing the bucket filled with the various baits available in Scale the Depths

Off to the kitchen

Once the catch is reeled in, it’s time to scale the fish. Using precise mouse movements, you must remove the scales without damaging the fish. It’s a simple mechanic, but quite satisfying.

When they’re ready, they’re served to customers, and with a warm smile to boot, of course. As if that weren’t enough, each customer has their own food preferences, and serving them dishes they enjoy helps your satisfaction meter rise faster. While this aspect of preferences is interesting in theory, it’s a shame it wasn’t explored a bit more.

Since all work deserves pay, each customer rewards us with a hefty bag of coins. With these, head to the shop to buy upgrades for rods, hooks, bait, cosmetics, and more. Each upgrade unlocks new possibilities, new depths, and, most importantly, new species to catch.

Cutting scales off a fish with a knife Cleaning seaweed off a flatfish Removing parasites from a huge fish

Around the World

Exploring and collecting all the elements in an area (fish, customers, puzzles, etc.) takes about an hour and a half per area. To date, the game features a total of 4 areas, inspired by real-world locations such as Loch Ness, the Outer Banks, and Point Nemo. Each has its own visual identity, exclusive fish, and legendary creatures.

There's the occasional hint of lore in hidden messages and information found in the game’s booklets and bestiaries, which naturally expand as you encounter new content and progress through the game.

The game's map and various fishing spots The species found in one of the biomes

Areas for Improvement

As for areas for improvement, we would have liked a bit more depth (no pun intended) in the gameplay. A sort of “minimap” would have been welcome, one that would have been revealed as you explored the depths. It’s sometimes hard to remember which way to go once you’re underwater, since the reefs can look quite similar to one another.

Furthermore, interactions with customers are relatively mundane. We would have appreciated more genuine and in-depth conversations—ones that, for example, provide lore details, real-life fishing anecdotes, or even a bit of humor.

The player on a boat in the ocean, talking to an octopus customer The player on a boat in the swamps, talking to a monster customer

Tested on PC. See our rating policy here.

7/10

Scale The Depths is a small project that isn’t that great, and isn’t aimed at a massive audience either, but that will satisfy fans of the genre or those who are simply curious. Whether you’re a fishing enthusiast or just enjoy incremental games, you’ll find a fun little experience here at a very reasonable price. We didn’t mind the few hours we spent underwater, and we’ll be keeping an eye out for any updates.

  • + A strangely charming concept
  • + A diverse amount of creatures
  • + A fairly engaging gameplay loop
  • + The OST is surprisingly enjoyable
  • - There are a few graphical bugs
  • - Menus could be more intuitive
  • - It lacks depth (no pun intended!)