Up The River

*PLEASE READ THE FEEDBACK SECTION BELOW*

Up The River is a fishing survival game about navigating the flow of time.

Drift between slow, normal, and fast currents that affect the world's time flow as you manage your hunger, dodge obstacles, catch fish, and decide whether to eat them now or let them age in your tank for greater value.

Survive the journey from youth to old age without starving, but remember: time keeps flowing, and even the best catch won’t stay fresh forever.

(Made for the Beginners' jam autumn 2026 with the theme "The Flow Of Time")

CONTROLS:

F - Toggle Fullscreen

ESC - Toggle Pause Menu (where you can also adjust audio settings)

SPACE - Start Fishing / Reel Fish

W / S or Arrow Keys -  Switch Currents

FEEDBACK WANTED:

This is basically an early (mildly polished) prototype, and I’m currently trying to figure out whether this jam project has enough potential to be a larger, commercially successful game.

After playing (the game should take you about 15 minutes), I’d really appreciate it if you could fill out the short 9-question Google Forms questionnaire below. It is specifically focused on validating the concept and helping me decide whether the game is worth continuing. (Please note i know the fact that the game is still missing core elements like currency, shops, etc., and that currently the game is very much subject to change)

Feedback Questionnaire: https://forms.gle/h6odVpy4HJhETg9TA

Even brief feedback is useful, and critical feedback is very welcome. I’m much more interested in understanding what works and what doesn’t than in getting positive responses.

And obviously any additional thought or feedback you want to share is more than welcome.

Thank you, and i am looking forward to trying your projects.

Asset mentions:

Font: “Atlantis” by Floodfonts.

UI: “Simple Free Pixel art styled UI pack” by Jakub Varga.

SFX: SoundReality, freesound_community, DRAGON-STUDIO, floraphonic.