Aquarist VR

Building and managing your own aquariums sounds perfect for VR, but the execution just isn’t there yet. A cool concept held back by clunky gameplay and a lack of polish.

Some of it works, teleportation is broken in many places (early game), collision is weird when placing things next to each others. the graphics are even lower than the normal non-vr version. Some of the mechanics work differently from desktop version. water bucket empties itself very easily when moving around, it needs more weight when filled so it doesn't flip around so fast I couldn't find how to sell things nor see the money. I made a serious "first build" in the basement, only to decorate it too much and run out of money before I could complete the objective to add 3 fishes, I only had money for 2. While testing it for an hour, I struggled and goofed off for 30 minutes then played "serious" for an other 30 minutes, only to close the game and see Steam didn't record the gameplay... pretty disapointing, I could've posted a video about me having fun by my own means. Experience was clearly of low quality, it clearly feel abandoned, it wasn't build for vr at it's core but the adaptation to vr is "fine", it's not skyrim vr level of "it just works", but still on the lower end.

Aquarist VR, developed by FreeMind S.A. and published by PlayWay S.A. alongside FreeMind S.A., takes a niche simulation concept and translates it into virtual reality with a strong focus on immersion and hands-on interaction. Instead of simply managing aquariums through menus and clicks, the game places you directly into the role of an aquarium specialist, where every action—from cleaning tanks to placing decorations—requires physical movement and spatial awareness. This shift into VR gives the experience a more tactile quality, making routine tasks feel more engaging than they might in a traditional simulation. At its core, the gameplay revolves around building and maintaining aquariums that function as living ecosystems. Players must carefully balance elements such as water quality, filtration, and species compatibility while also designing visually appealing environments. This blend of creativity and management forms the backbone of the experience, offering a satisfying loop where each tank becomes both a functional system and a personal creation. The addition of a business component introduces structure, as players take on client requests, earn money, and gradually expand thei…

I was really hoping this would be good but it’s a bit infuriating and you get two missions past the tutorial. You just make your own tank in your basement and one tank for a friend after. This has been released for coming up on 3 years this December and it can be completed in like 2 hours when taking your time. There are also some issues with your hands colliding with the plants (not just normal decor) making it so hard to try to place more plants and stuff nearby. If you drop anything you will not be able to get it if you’re in sitting mode and will have to stay seated and change to standing mode to get it. The bucket is an issue on its own as (if you sing smooth movement mode at least) you can’t walk at the slow full speed without your bucket having a seizure i. Your hand and spilling all the water. You have to barely put the joystick forward to not spill and it can still spill if you turn weird or bump almost anything. I got it for a dollar so it’s not a huge deal but a massive ripoff for the full price. Genuinely could be a decent vr game if not a good one with some work but it doesn’t seem that it will get that :(

Wow, the VR port of this game is awful. Literally couldn't finish the tutorial because I couldn't move around and even when things were working, it was just so damned frustrating. Maybe the regular PC version is better than the VR

Got locked out of progressing, odd bug I couldn't figure a way around even when replaying it (got stuck in the same place twice). Think it has something to do with movement controls but idk. Would be cool if not for that.