Ice Lakes

Highly technical PC simulations often cater to hobbyists and people with some active interest in a given subject outside of the game. Games like the Farming Simulator series, for example, pride themselves on having the latest farming equipment, so tractor enthusiasts can check out the real-world models they may not get to see in person.

Virtual reality, by contrast, puts a much stronger emphasis on action. Most VR sims (so far) emphasize physical action that feels real, rather than technical information that suggest a simulation is true-to-life. That shift in focus opens the door for more inviting, exploratory simulations for less involved players interested in trying something for the first time.

In Ice Lakes, an ice fishing simulator on Steam, players can explore open levels to find a good spot to drill down into the ice, then drop their lines based on the environment. While developer Iceflake Studios might need to reign back the game’s open-world elements — maybe you can warp to different spots on the ice — the experience of reading the world, drilling the ice, and fishing could be thrilling. (For the full effect, Make sure to a position a large fan right next to you for the duration of your fishing trip.)

While I’m sure there is a subset of fishing enthusiasts who would love an ice fishing simulation with the accurate models of the latest fishing poles, there are also a lot of us who don’t know anything about ice fishing and simply want to get a sense of what it feels like.