Review – Here, Fishy, Fishy

Here, Fishy, Fishy is an entry in HABA’s My Very First Games line, a series tailor-made for the littlest of gamers. Combining simple dexterity, color recognition, and set collection, it introduces foundational game concepts in a way that a 2-year-old can understand.

Review

As a dad of two little kids, my game collection has shifted in recent years to include numerous HABA games. Here, Fishy, Fishy is one of their pre-preschool titles, a game aimed at the youngest of children.

The goal of this game is to collect a set of 5 beach toy tokens. Each player has an individual tableau—made to look like a sandy beach—where the tokens will fit.

The game-action takes place inside the box. A set of 6 enormous, wooden sea creatures is placed into the box base. Each creature is a different color and has a magnet inset into it.

On a player’s turn, they roll the oversized die and try to “fish” for the matching creature using a magnetic fishing pole. If they catch the correct creature, they receive a token in that color. If they roll the sparkly silver fish and successfully catch it, they can choose a token of any color.

The first player to collect a full set of tokens wins. The game also includes a variant, which I recommend, in which a player who rolls a color they already have and successfully catches that fish can take any token they like.

Here, Fishy, Fishy is one of the best entries in the My Very First Games line. My family’s favorite game from that series has long been First Orchard, but Here, Fishy, Fishy is our number 2.

This game has many HABA hallmarks, including chunky wooden pieces, ultra-simple rules, and a strong tactile quality. The bright color palette is sure to stimulate little ones’ minds, and the fishing rod and sea creatures are great for curious hands. My son (almost 2 years old) is having a lot of fun just free-playing with the pieces.

As with many of the My Very First games, kids will likely outgrow this one by about age 3. As such, I don’t recommend it for children of preschool or kindergarten age. (HABA has dozens of games that are better-suited for those kids.) However, for children around 2 years old—those who are developing their coordination and motor skills, and exploring the world around them—Here, Fishy, Fishy is a great choice.

A review copy was provided by HABA.