In nearly every cozy game under the sun that I’ve spent far too long playing, fishing is the one mechanic that’s omnipresent yet differs just enough between games to prove annoying. It’s also usually the one minigame that makes me pull out my beard in frustration. In Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, you won’t unlock fishing straight away, but once you do, it can feel like quite the game-changer for food supplies, income, and collectors who want to see it all. So it’s well worth investing some time in getting better at luring in those fish.
How to fish
You’ll unlock the fishing mechanic after arriving at Winter Village, shortly after the initial cutscene introducing the new characters and setting. You’ll find Watarase, the fisherman, down beneath the main bridge. He owns a small hovel by the water, with a fishing dock out over the rapids. You really cannot miss him, as he’s the only person wearing a fish head for a hat.
Once he provides you with your PescaPedia—a journal to track the types of fish you catch—along with a fishing rod, he’ll point you toward the water. Open up your map now. You’ll note jumping fish-shaped icons marking key points around town, specifically over the water, which indicate fishing holes. If you visit each one, you’ll find shadows dancing in the water and, by standing close, you may cast your line into the immediate area.
With your fishing line in the water, wait patiently. Eventually, one of the fish will nibble, the water will ripple slightly with its movement, and your bobber will disappear beneath the surface. When this happens, quickly tap the interact icon to reel in the line.
The fish you catch is randomized, so if you want them all, you must return at different times of the day and during different weather systems.
All fish and where to find them
If you fancy yourself a collector, whether it’s crops, achievements, or in this case, fish species, you have your work cut out for you. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a sizable game, with plenty to see and acquire, and each village features its own assortment of fish species to hunt:
Spring Village
- Ancient Fish
- Chub
- Crucian Carp
- Masu Trout
- Taimen
Summer Village
- Blowfish
- Bonito
- Cutlassfish
- Girella
- Mackerel
- Marlin
- Octopus
- Pike
- Sardine
- Seerfish
- Snapper
- Swordtip Squid
- Tuna
- Yellowtail
Autumn Village
- Char
- Cherry Salmon
- Shrimp
- Squid
Winter Village
- Pond Smelt
- Rainbow Trout
- Salmon
The Skies of Azuma
- Abalone
- Alfonsino
- Autumn Flounder
- Flounder
- Gibelio
- Glitter Snapper
- Golden Octopus
- Golden Salmon
- Lobster
- Needlefish
- Red King Crab
- Sand Flounder
- Sole
- Spear Squid
- Sunfish
- Throbby Snapper
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is available now on Nintendo Switch and Windows PCs.