when i was very little, i went camping for the first time. it was me, my mom, my dad, and my sister, and we went to celebrate my mom's birthday in late july. i remember burning my finger on the metal ring 'round the campfire, and nursing it with the cold side of my pillow later at night. i got to try s'mores for the first time. i remember the smell of the smoky air.

there was a week period where i was told to stay at a summer camp situation against my will. the only respite i had from it was the gorgeous woodland; i often dreamed about running away into it, never to be seen or found again, becoming a wild beast. (i didn't yet know about therianthropy.) and the stars were beautiful when we all slept on the ampitheatre stage that one night.

i remember camping out in a neighboring reservoir some years later, a few years after my mom passed away. i was staying with a friend's extended family and my sister for three days out in the wilderness. i remember the lake was really cold, and i was too afraid to kayak because of my lack of balance. i remember yelling a swear word really loudly in unison with other kids, seeing who would get in trouble first. i remember reading a morbid book about yellowstone deaths in my tent and getting scared. i remember when a bunch of us went to a nearby rock and talked about whatever around it, and i liked looking out over the lake. and i remember the pillbug i saw before i had to leave.

my dad has, since, taken me - and my sister, before she moved overseas - out on some early morning fishing excursions. mostly at a reservoir, but other times deeper in the mountains. i always enjoyed the smells and sounds of the woods. i would describe it as PNW-like, which feels fair, considering this was in northern california.

i'm saying all this to give context to my personal experience with WEBFISHING, a laid-back multiplayer game about fishing in the woods. i can't help but let my camping experience color my playthrough of games like it. it is extremely cozy, in the most specific way. it's late summer, turning autumn. there's lakes and the ocean (which i've seen once or twice in my life at all) and rivers and TREES.

i think it does what animal crossing wishes it did to me. i can play as an animal - in fact, that's the only choice (cat or dog). i can play with other animals, and walk around and enjoy the scenery. and i can draw on the ground with chalk, and dress myself however i want.

the biggest draw this game has, to me, is the nostalgia factor. it's so... i don't know. it feels authentic to what i remember. heck, even the trash cans scattered around is authentic. it's a campground.

this game has elements of interactivity that really charm me. i like the chalk drawing. i like the outfits. i like the fish, and the fishing system itself - although simple - doesn't feel like a chore. the color palette the entire island has really nails the end-of-summer vibe, too.

i think one of my only points of complaint would be the music. as cute as it is, it could really use more music; i had the one track play too much, so i ended up disabling it, but if more were added at some point, i might turn it back on.. i also want to complain about how many times the word boy/guy/dude is applied in contexts that it's meant to be "gender neutral"; i know enough (trans) girls that are bothered by this that i am also bothered by it. not that they need to be *removed*, but any sort of inclusion opposite of this would be really nice (ie "koi girl" and similar).

anyway. that's my review of WEBFISHING. i like it, and it reminds me of when i was a puppy. it's casual and feels easy to pick up again after not playing it. it's not trying to be too complex or deep, and i think it succeeds in what it wants to be - a relaxed game to play with your friends.