Catch & Release

June 7, 2018 xrschool

~$9.99 PC VR only VR-native (built for controllers) ☺ Meditative • 90% Steam positive

metricminds GmbH (Germany) • 90% Steam positive • VR Grid 9/10 • GODOCULUS 4.5/5

Catch & Release

Just you. On a lake. Row your boat to your chosen spot on a stunning mountain lake, attach your bait, cast your line, and listen to the radio. A VR-native fishing experience praised by every reviewer who has tried it — "the epitome of a relaxing VR fishing experience."

Developer: metricminds GmbH & Co KG (Germany)

Price: ~$9.99 (up to 40% off)

Released: June 7, 2018

VR: Rift • Vive • WMR • Valve Index • PSVR

7.5

/10

XR School Score

Recommended

90% Steam positive from 322 reviews • VR Grid 9/10 • GODOCULUS 4.5/5 • "Epitome of a relaxing VR experience" • VR-native from the ground up • Single lake, PC VR only

90% Steam Positive 322 reviews • Very Positive
~$9.99 • PC VR only (Rift/Vive/WMR)

Overview

Catch & Release was developed by metricminds GmbH & Co KG, a German studio, and published by Advanced Interactive Gaming Ltd, released on Steam in June 2018. Unlike most VR fishing titles, it was built from the ground up for VR and tracked motion controllers — not ported from a flatscreen version. There is no flatscreen mode; it is VR-only.

The setting is singular: Misty Falls, a single mountain lake surrounded by dense forest, cliffs, and reed-covered coastlines. You sit in a rowboat. You can row freely around the lake to choose your spot. You attach bait to your hook, cast your line by performing a natural throwing motion, manage line tension to tire out your catch, and then decide — cooler or back in the water? A Polaroid camera lets you photograph prize catches. A radio with 30+ licensed music tracks plays while you wait. The developer's description is also the game's tagline: "Just you. On a lake."

"The Epitome of a Relaxing VR Fishing Experience" SelectButton's review captures what distinguishes Catch & Release: "There are times where games overly complicate matters or just take too long to get you into the game; however, Catch & Release realizes that sometimes, you just want a simplistic approach and a touch of relaxation." The VR Grid gave it 9/10, describing the experience of sitting in a VR boat on a lake as something they "could picture just sitting there with a real beer by my side and just passing out while the fish nibble away without a care in the world." GODOCULUS rated it 4.5/5 calling it "a software gem with lots of charm, which raises your mood — not only for fishing fans, but especially for fishing noobs."

What's in the Boat

🌃

Rowboat Navigation

Row freely around Misty Falls with physical paddle motions. Choose your fishing spot anywhere on the lake.

🎡

Bait Selection and Gear

One bait type is included unlimited; others are purchased with money earned from catches. New rods, weighing scales, and a cooling box unlocked through objectives.

🆕

Polaroid Camera

Photograph prize catches and document wildlife around the lake. The Polaroid mechanic includes shaking the photo to develop it — a charming detail praised by multiple reviewers.

🎵

Radio (30+ Licensed Tracks)

Multiple radio stations with distinct music genres. One reviewer: "I could spend hours just sitting there listening to the music."

📚

Objective Diary

Optional missions that guide you through gear unlocks. Completing them is rewarded; ignoring them and just fishing is equally valid.

🍌

Sandwich and Drinks

You can eat a sandwich and have a drink on the boat. A small detail that speaks to the game's commitment to embodied, physical-feeling VR presence.

Curriculum Value

Atmosphere and immersion

9.6

VR-native design quality

9.2

Wellbeing / mindfulness use

9.0

Environmental observation

7.8

Content breadth

4.0

Single Location: Depth Over Breadth Catch & Release has one lake. This is its most frequently noted limitation, particularly compared to Bait! (7 locations) and Ultimate Fishing Simulator VR (7+ base maps plus 8 DLC locations). The single setting means it is not the choice for Geography-linked content exploring diverse global water ecosystems. What it offers instead is exceptional depth of presence within that one environment — the kind of immersive, unhurried quality that makes it genuinely useful for wellbeing and mindfulness contexts in a way the more content-rich alternatives are not.

What Critics Say

The VR Grid9 / 10

"For the first time in my VR playing life, I could picture just sitting in a VR boat on a lake, with a real beer by my side and just passing out while the fish nibble away at my line without a care in the world. I love this game!"

GODOCULUS4.5 / 5

"Catch & Release is a software gem with lots of charm, which raises your mood. And this is explicitly so, not only for fishing fans, but also, or maybe especially so, for fishing noobs."

SelectButton8 / 10

"Catch & Release is the epitome of a relaxing VR fishing experience. It feels so great to unwind on a lake in the middle of nowhere and fish for an afternoon, without worrying about mosquitoes."

The VR RealmRecommended

"The game brings some outstanding immersion through everything it does with the gameplay and presentation. It brings with it an endless play time, and I have spent many hours in it without even realising."

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths

90% Steam positive from 322 consistent reviews
Built from the ground up for VR tracked controllers
Praised by every critic who reviewed it — 9/10, 4.5/5, 8/10
Polaroid camera • Radio with 30+ licensed tracks
Strongest wellbeing / mindfulness application of the three
PSVR • Rift • Vive • WMR • Valve Index support
Optional objectives or pure relaxed fishing — player's choice

Considerations

Single location (Misty Falls) — limited content breadth
PC VR only — not on standalone Quest
Small review pool (322) despite consistent quality
No multiplayer — solo experience only
Least curriculum depth of the three for Biology/Geography

~$9.99

PC VR • Rift • Vive • WMR • Index • PSVR

Get on Steam →

Quick Facts

Developer: metricminds GmbH & Co KG (Germany)
Publisher: Advanced Interactive Gaming Ltd
Price: ~$9.99 (up to 40% off)
Released: June 7, 2018
Platform: PC VR (Rift • Vive • WMR • Index)
PSVR: Yes • Also available on PSVR
Steam: 90% positive • 322 reviews
Location: Single lake: Misty Falls
Multiplayer: None • Solo experience
Playtime: ~9.5 hours (story) • Endless replay

Verdict

The most atmospheric and meditative VR fishing experience of the three reviewed — praised without exception by every critic across four separate publications. Built natively for VR from the ground up, with physical rowing, bait attachment, line tension management, a Polaroid camera, and a licensed music radio. Its single location is a genuine limitation for content breadth, and the PC VR requirement narrows deployment options compared to Bait!. For schools with PC VR headsets and a wellbeing or mindfulness context, this is the most transportingly immersive of the three. For first-time deployment on standalone Quest with a group, start with Bait! instead.

The XR School

The XR School

Catch & Release

Catch & Release