Deadliest Catch: The Game, developed by 4Fishing and published by Ultimate Games S.A., is an ambitious attempt to translate the high-stakes world of crab fishing—immortalized by the popular Discovery Channel series—into an immersive simulation experience. Set in the unforgiving waters of the Bering Sea, the game puts players in the boots of a captain managing not just a vessel, but an entire operation, from crew and gear to navigation and the unpredictable environment. With its roots in real-life danger and grit, the game aims to deliver an experience that captures both the monotony and intensity of life aboard a crab boat.

The gameplay centers on preparing for and executing crab fishing expeditions, which includes managing bait, deploying pots, hauling catches, maintaining equipment, and ensuring that quotas and regulations are met. What sets it apart from more arcade-style fishing games is its dedication to simulating the entire process. Players must handle gear manually, operate heavy machinery, and take into account weather conditions and sea currents. The inclusion of real-world fishing techniques and procedures—like setting buoys, measuring legal crabs, and sorting bycatch—offers a level of realism that fans of detailed simulators will likely appreciate. The game also includes economic management, requiring players to consider fuel usage, market prices, and repair costs, adding another layer of strategy and realism to each voyage.

Visually, the game attempts to replicate the harsh and cold environments of the North Pacific. There’s a clear effort to depict the rough sea, icy decks, and grey skies that define the setting, though the graphical fidelity leaves something to be desired. Textures can appear flat, character animations are limited, and environmental effects lack polish. That said, during storm sequences or when waves crash against the hull, the sense of isolation and danger can be palpable—moments like these provide glimpses of what the game is capable of when all systems work in tandem. Unfortunately, these moments are often disrupted by noticeable technical issues, ranging from clunky controls and unresponsive input to bugs like disappearing objects or crashing systems.

The controls themselves can be cumbersome, especially when interacting with the ship's machinery. Precision is required in many tasks, yet the input detection sometimes fails to keep up with player intent, leading to frustrating errors or repeated actions. While these issues might be patched over time, they currently stand as obstacles to the game's immersive potential. Moreover, some players may find the gameplay loop to be repetitive, as the tasks involved—setting pots, hauling them back, sorting the catch—quickly fall into a routine. For simulation fans, this repetition might reflect the realism of crab fishing. For others, it may simply feel monotonous.

Despite its shortcomings, Deadliest Catch: The Game finds success in its slower, methodical pacing. The game doesn’t rush the player and instead encourages thoughtful planning and attention to detail. Choosing where to fish, when to deploy gear, and how to respond to changing weather or a malfunctioning engine all feed into a satisfying loop for those who enjoy control and complexity. The satisfaction comes not from fast-paced action, but from executing a careful plan, seeing a full load of legal crab hauled aboard, and returning to port with a profitable haul. Upgrading the ship and equipment adds a rewarding progression element, as does successfully balancing risk and reward on each voyage.

Deadliest Catch: The Game is, ultimately, a niche title. It’s designed for players who value realism and are willing to invest time and patience into a slower-paced experience. The lack of polish, technical bugs, and somewhat repetitive nature of the tasks hold it back from broader appeal. However, for fans of the show or the fishing simulation genre, the game offers an authentic and grounded take on one of the most grueling jobs in the world. With additional development and refinement, it has the potential to become a standout title in its field. As it stands now, it delivers a rough but often compelling glimpse into the life of a crab boat captain fighting the odds on the Bering Sea.

Rating: 5/10

Deadliest Catch: The Game (2020) — 1/10

Extremely disappointing simulator. The game is catastrophically weak: controls are clunky, and the physics of objects and interactions with the environment are completely sloppy. Just trying to climb a ladder or go through a door feels thoughtless and poorly executed. Listing all the flaws is pointless — there are too many. Overall, the game feels like a raw, unfinished product that provides absolutely no enjoyment.