Polarfish is a 2D cooperative puzzle platformer about two magnetic fish - Maggie, who is a female deep sea fish, and Polo, who is a male clownfish. They are rolling around in fish bowls trying to reach the ocean. The pair must use their ability to switch polarity at will to navigate complex and often hazardous obstacles.

 

The start of the game is set in a futuristic laboratory of an evil scientist who captured Maggie and Polo for one of his experiments - he wanted to transform them into two Polarfish with superpowers. His experiment was successful and Maggie and Polo gained the abilities to be magnetically charged and to freeze in mid-air. These abilities are at the core of the gameplay of Polarfish, as they need to be used cooperatively by both players to solve various puzzles and advance through the story.

 

The world of Polarfish is futuristic and cyberpunk styled, depicted using pixel art, which contrasts with the two cute and friendly looking fish. They feel out of place, which works well with the story of them not belonging and trying to return to the ocean. There is a lot of emphasis on the characters themselves, and the animations of the fish, the water and the bowl, as it was important for such a complex player model to look and feel right, and match with the player input, as the player models will be the visuals that the players will be seeing for the longest time (as the environments change).

 

A few of the key characteristics of the game concept are collaboration, communication and facing a non-frustrating and rewarding challenge together. The game has quite a forgiving set-up, with players dying often, but respawning closeby, which motivates trying out various creative solutions and not being worried about losing a lot of progress, which is perfect for a casual, family-friendly co-op game.