Item: Fishbowl Racer
Rating: 78
Author: Dinsun

Dinsun Review

This is barely a game. I’ve seen more complex mechanics in cereal box prizes. You tap, the fish moves, you don't tap, it doesn't. There is zero nuance to the 'racing,' and the AI is either brain-dead or cheating—there is no middle ground. The visuals are something you’d expect from a student project in 2010.

I’m trying to find something positive to say for the sake of fairness. It's functional? It didn't crash? But there's no soul here. No reason to keep playing after five minutes. It’s the kind of shovelware that clutters the App Store, taking up space that could be used by actual developers. If you're over the age of six, you'll be bored before the first lap is over. It’s a waste of storage.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Very simple for very young children
Colorful character designs

Extremely shallow gameplay
Dated, low-budget graphics
Total lack of content or depth

Technical Report

Performance: Runs fine, but low resolution assets are very noticeable.

Accessibility:

Single-tap controls

Audience Fit

Buy if: You need to distract a toddler for exactly three minutes.

Skip if: You are a sentient being who values your time and money.

Similar Games:

Dolphin Olympics
Hungry Shark Evolution

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old male, hyper-critical conservative gamer
Hardware: iPhone 13
Playtime: 1 hours
Status: Played all tracks

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

497960879

$0.99 4+★4.9 26 reviews

Author : Donut Games

Pubish Date : Tue Feb 14 2012

Last Update Date : Thu Jul 06 2017

Support Languages : English

Genres :

Version 1.03Thu Jul 06 2017

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.
- 64-bit compatibility
- Optimized resources: Saves valuable space on your device
Note! ANNOYINGLY HARD, don't proceed if you have a bad temper!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THE ULTIMATE TEST: Can you do 2 things simultaneously?
Control a fishbowl on top of a JOLTING CART, and a starving GOLDFISH trying to snatch fish food from the shelves, both at the same time!
Challenge your friends and prove once and for all, who has the better simultaneous capacity: MEN or WOMEN?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- Achievements
- Game Center support
- MFi controller support
- ION Arcade controller support
- Universal App (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch)
- Donut Games' Collectors Icon #31
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
WHAT REVIEWERS SAY:
- APPLE: Promoted as "New and noteworthy", Feb 2012
- ARCADELIFE review: "Excellent game. Once you start getting into the ‘shelf combos’ it’s just a whole new level of genius. I don’t know who they've got working at Donut Games, designing this stuff, but they’re bloody good at it."
- FAN reviews: "I love this game so much, it's so addicting I can't put it down!", "This game rocks!"
- TOUCH ARCADE forums: "It's great to see an endless runner that is challenging, so you're not running forever...", "Very nice game indeed."
- MACWORLD idg: "iOS game of the day"
- APPS ON TAPP: "Top 5 High-Scoring Endless Runners"
- TECHAHOLIKA: "Incredibly simple and impressive gameplay, it’s an endless runner that is quite unlike any other."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Enjoy another Donut Games release!
Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Note! ANNOYINGLY HARD, don't proceed if you have a bad temper!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THE ULTIMATE TEST: Can you do 2 things simultaneously?
Control a fishbowl on top of a JOLTING CART, and a starving GOLDFISH trying to snatch fish food from the shelves, both at the same time!
Challenge your friends and prove once and for all, who has the better simultaneous capacity: MEN or WOMEN?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- Achievements
- Game Center support
- MFi controller support
- ION Arcade controller support
- Universal App (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch)
- Donut Games' Collectors Icon #31
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
WHAT REVIEWERS SAY:
- APPLE: Promoted as "New and noteworthy", Feb 2012
- ARCADELIFE review: "Excellent game. Once you start getting into the ‘shelf combos’ it’s just a whole new level of genius. I don’t know who they've got working at Donut Games, designing this stuff, but they’re bloody good at it."
- FAN reviews: "I love this game so much, it's so addicting I can't put it down!", "This game rocks!"
- TOUCH ARCADE forums: "It's great to see an endless runner that is challenging, so you're not running forever...", "Very nice game indeed."
- MACWORLD idg: "iOS game of the day"
- APPS ON TAPP: "Top 5 High-Scoring Endless Runners"
- TECHAHOLIKA: "Incredibly simple and impressive gameplay, it’s an endless runner that is quite unlike any other."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Enjoy another Donut Games release!

Ratings & Reviews

4.9 out of 5 with 26 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 4+

Fishbowl Racer is an unconventional racing game where the protagonist is a fish inside a glass bowl. Players must navigate through various household environments—from the kitchen counter to the backyard—by tilting and rolling the bowl. The game relies on momentum and gravity; you'll need to time your descents to gain enough speed to clear jumps while ensuring you land softly enough to prevent the glass from breaking. It’s a test of reflexes and physics-based puzzle solving.

Features

Unique physics-based 'rolling' mechanics

Dozens of challenging levels across house-themed worlds

Intuitive tilt and touch controls

Upgradable bowls and fish characters

Fun, vibrant graphics and sound effects

Tips

Maintaining Momentum

The secret to winning is 'pumping' on the downhills. Lean forward as you go down a slope to build speed, and level out your bowl before you hit a flat surface or an uphill to maintain as much inertia as possible.

Promotion Videos

Fishbowl Racer Gameplay

Gameplays

Upgrading Your Bowl

Spend your collected coins on 'Glass Strength' first. A stronger bowl allows you to survive higher falls and minor collisions, which is essential as the levels get more vertical and dangerous.