Parents' Guide to

Koi

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Cute but shallow fish tale with eco message makes no waves.

Game PlayStation 4 2016
Koi Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Koi Game: Screenshot #1
  • Koi Game: Screenshot #2
  • Koi Game: Screenshot #3

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What’s It About?

KOI puts players in control of a wee fish swimming about ponds, rivers, and man-made waterways, including drains and sewers. Your fish will meet other fish and frogs in a simple story that explores how pollution is affecting the environment and the behaviors of aquatic animals. Each short level is distinguished by its objectives and puzzles. Players generally need to track down other fish and lead them to floating flowers to help them bloom. But along the way they'll run into dark and angry fish that try to bump into them, exposed wires that can shock them, and swift currents they'll either zip through or struggle against. Some levels force players to complete simple challenges that involve remembering audiovisual sequences, spinning mosaic tiles, and finding their way through darkened sewer mazes. Players also need to keep an eye out for jigsaw puzzle pieces and stars hidden around the watery world that must be collected to achieve a perfect rating on each level.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This ecological adventure has grand aspirations it never quite manages to achieve. It's clearly aiming to be a beautiful and relaxing game with a serious message and was likely at least partially inspired by ThatGameCompany's poetic Flower. But while Koi successfully achieves a calming atmosphere, it doesn't manage the subtly sophisticated aesthetic, play mechanics, or meaning of its muse.

Early stages set in natural environments have an appealing minimalist appearance, but man-made objects introduced in later stages -- boots, pipes, and gears -- have a decidedly underwhelming cardboard-cutout look that feels a bit cheap. And while swimming around can be fun and even soothing, the puzzles are poorly integrated and a bit jarring when they suddenly lift players out of the pond to begin picking leaves on a branch or spinning mosaic squares. Most problematic, though, is that the message -- pollution is bad for animals -- is simultaneously too blunt and too simplistic. Yes, pollution is bad, but how can we address it? What's the root problem? These ideas are never addressed, leaving players to either feel sorry for the fish or take some solace in the game's rather fantastical conclusion. A more symbolic expression of the same themes would have served Koi better.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about screen time. This is a short game with only a handful of levels, all of which can be completed in a couple of hours. So, with a game this brief, do you think it's better to finish it all in one go, or should players break it up into a few small chunks? Why?

  • Talk about pollution. While we're pretty good at ensuring our own environments stay clean and safe, sometimes human activities can have disastrous effects on the animal world, so what can you do to minimize your impact on the ecosystem around you?

Game Details

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