Ridiculous Fishing was a landmark mobile game when it launched in 2013. It proved that touch controls could enable game designs that felt native to the platform rather than compromised by it. A decade later, the EX version arrives on Apple Arcade with new content, a fresh coat of polish, and the complete removal of ads. The remarkable thing is how little the core game needed to change. The design was so sharp from the start that the decade between versions feels almost irrelevant.
The premise is exactly as ridiculous as the title promises. You cast a fishing line as deep as possible, tilting your phone to dodge fish on the way down. Then you reel up, catching everything you touch on the way back to the surface. And then, in the moment that defines the entire game, all your caught fish fly into the air and you blast them with increasingly absurd weapons. The money from your haul funds better gear, which lets you fish deeper, which lets you earn more. It’s a loop so satisfying it borders on addictive.
Guns, Fish, and the Perfect Gameplay Loop
The genius of Ridiculous Fishing is in its three-phase structure. Each phase plays differently, demands different skills, and feeds into the next. The casting phase is a test of spatial awareness and quick reactions as you weave your hook through schools of fish to reach greater depths. The reeling phase flips the script, turning avoidance into collection as you try to snag as many fish as possible on the way up. And the shooting phase is pure cathartic mayhem, tapping fish out of the sky before they fall back into the ocean.
Each phase is simple in isolation, but the way they connect creates a rhythm that keeps every fishing trip engaging. A deep cast means more room to collect on the way up. More fish means more targets to shoot. More targets means more money, which means better gear. The progression feeds back into itself cleanly, and the EX version adds new fish species, new depths, and new equipment that extend the loop without disrupting it.
The equipment system deserves special mention. Your fishing line, reel, gun, and other gear all upgrade through a shop that regularly introduces new options. A chainsaw replaces your hook and cuts through fish you’d normally have to dodge. A toaster turns all your caught fish into toast. A minigun replaces your shotgun for the shooting phase. The upgrades are creative, often hilarious, and meaningfully change how you approach each fishing trip.
The new content in the EX version adds several new fishing locations, each with unique fish species, environmental hazards, and visual styles. The additional depth extends what was already a surprisingly meaty game, and the new fish introduce behaviors that force you to adjust your strategies. The Apple Arcade presentation strips away all friction, delivering the complete experience from the first cast.
Where the Waters Get Shallow
Ridiculous Fishing’s greatest weakness is also a consequence of its greatest strength. The loop is so tightly designed that once you’ve upgraded most of your equipment and explored all the fishing spots, the game runs out of new things to show you. The late game becomes a repetitive grind for the last few unlocks, and without new challenges to test your fully upgraded gear against, sessions start to feel hollow.
The controls, while brilliantly suited to the casting and reeling phases, can feel imprecise during the shooting phase on larger screens. Tapping individual fish out of a chaotic sky full of airborne sea life works better on a phone than on an iPad, and the controller support, while functional, doesn’t quite match the immediacy of touch.
The Apple Arcade exclusivity means Android users are left out entirely, and the original version has been delisted from most stores. For a game that was once a flagship title for the entire mobile platform, being locked behind a subscription service feels like a loss for the broader gaming community.
The visual style, charming as it is, shows its age in certain areas. The flat, geometric art direction has held up better than most early mobile games, but the UI elements and menu design feel dated compared to modern releases. The EX version adds polish but doesn’t overhaul the visual identity, which is probably the right call for nostalgia but might feel basic to new players.
Why Simple Design Ages Best
The most important takeaway from Ridiculous Fishing EX is that great game design doesn’t expire. The core loop that made this game a sensation in 2013 is just as satisfying in 2023 because it’s built on timeless principles: clear feedback, escalating challenge, meaningful progression, and a sense of humor that never takes itself seriously. The EX version doesn’t need to reinvent anything because the original design was already close to perfect for what it set out to do.
This is a game that understood mobile gaming’s potential before the industry figured it out. Playing it now feels like a reminder of what the platform can be when designers build for it rather than around it.
Should You Play Ridiculous Fishing EX?
If you have Apple Arcade and never played the original, this is one of the service’s best offerings. It’s a game that can be enjoyed in two-minute sessions or hour-long binges, and the progression system keeps pulling you back until you’ve seen everything. Veterans of the original will find the new content worth revisiting, though the core experience hasn’t changed enough to feel entirely fresh.
Skip it if you’re looking for a deep, long-lasting experience. Ridiculous Fishing is a concentrated burst of joy rather than an endurance test, and once the progression runs dry, there’s limited reason to keep casting. If you need a game that evolves over months of play, this isn’t it.
The Verdict on Ridiculous Fishing EX
Ridiculous Fishing EX is a celebration of one of mobile gaming’s most important designs, polished and expanded for a new audience. The three-phase loop remains wildly satisfying, the humor still lands, and the new content adds welcome variety without diluting what made the original special. Its brevity and Apple Arcade exclusivity limit its reach, but for anyone with access, this is a reminder that the best mobile games are designed for the platform, not despite it.