Hooked!

• 

  Reddit publication users see.

• 

  The arcade gameplay is ready to begin!

• 

  Catch all the target before timer reaches 0.

• 

  Each "fish" has its own set of datas such as rarity, weight or type.

• 

  Some "fish" are weirder than other.

• 

  After catching a fish, the player has to wait to resume the game!

• 

  The rarer the fish, the harder the target is.

• 

  All hooked fish fill the collection.

• 

  Mobile version screenshot 1

• 

  Mobile version screenshot 2

• 

  Mobile version screenshot 3

• 

  Mobile version screenshot 4

Inspiration

With Hooked, we wanted to create an arcade game that's easy to pick up, satisfying to play, and deep enough to keep players coming back. We also wanted to capture the essence of fishing itself: the waiting, which can sometimes feel endless, followed by that burst of excitement when something finally gets hooked. Our main inspirations were Ridiculous Fishing, Cast and Chill, and, admittedly, the name of the hackathon itself (yes, we're that literal).

What it does

Hooked is an arcade fishing game built around anticipation and collecting. You play as a fisherman patiently waiting for the next catch. Sometimes it takes only a few seconds. Sometimes it takes several minutes. While waiting, players are free to do something else: doomscroll Reddit, cook dinner, or simply stare hopefully at the screen. Then the fish bites, and the real game begins. Players must quickly hit a series of targets before time runs out, with each target featuring its own unique behavior and challenge. Once the catch is secured, it's time for the reveal. Every creature comes with its own rarity, weight, and collectible variants inspired by games like Diablo and trading card games (think Foil or Shiny versions). A daily leaderboard lets players compare scores, show off rare catches, and engage in the time-honored Reddit tradition of pretending they're better than everyone else. Every day introduces a different selection of creatures to catch. Daily posts from the official account—and those shared by other players—increase your chances of finding legendary catches, from Krakens and Kronosauruses to the occasional suspicious body bag resting on the ocean floor.

How we built it

We built Hooked as a team of three:

• a brilliant developer,
• a game designer who's funny about half the time,
• and an artist who lovingly handcrafted every single pixel.

Our tech stack includes Phaser, HTML, CSS, TypeScript, Redis, and Aseprite.

Challenges we ran into

This was our first game built for Reddit, so most of our challenges were centered around game design rather than technology. How do you make a game that's simple to understand but still offers depth? How do you keep players engaged over days instead of minutes? We spent a lot of time designing systems that reward players for returning every day and for interacting with other players' posts, making Reddit itself part of the gameplay loop.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Creating charming pixel art inspired by Game Boy Advance classics.
• Designing engagement mechanics around waiting, daily fishing, rarity, collections, and leaderboards.
• Shipping everything on time!

What we learned

• Making games for Reddit is a lot of fun.
• Engagement isn't just important. It's the game.
• We learned a lot about sprite animation, spritesheets, and polishing game feel.

What's next for Hooked!

• More content! New fish and creatures will be added regularly.
• More social and community-driven mechanics.
• Lots of bug fixing and polish to make the experience as smooth as possible.

Built With

• asprite
• css
• html
• love
• redis
• typescript