MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
This article is a part of MCV/DEVELOP’s Unsigned, bringing a spotlight to unsigned indie games in partnership with Unity.
Mix a fish, a tank and a sprinkle of chaos and what do you get? FISH TANKS. Fight. Blub-blub. WIN!
Developer: SockMonkey Studios
Location: Middlesbrough, UK
Team size: 32 people + a pug, Fish Tanks core team of 4 with some others dropping in/out between projects
Progress: Launching in Early Access Summer 2021
Contact details:
danni@sockmonkeystudios.net
Tell us about your game and why you decided to develop it
We’re predominantly a work-for-hire studio, and we wanted to invest back into the team and develop our own title. Fish Tanks started as a pun, but we fell in love with it! It fit our desire to create a local co-op multiplayer title to play with your pals on the couch, like in the ‘good ol’ days’ of the 90s. Colour, carnage and fun – that’s what we aimed for!
Who do you think the audience is?
Anybody out there with a love for fast-paced, colourful games, a taste for collect-athons… and of course fish with nothing to lose. We designed Fish Tanks to be a game that people can pick up and play for anything from a few minutes to a few hours.
What experience does the team have?
Our team is a melting pot of talent, bringing together industry masters and fresher faces full of potential. Since it was founded by Bob Makin and Darren Cuthbert in 2013, SockMonkey Studios has collaborated on a multitude of games including Prison Architect, Kill it with Fire and Totally Accurate Battlegrounds across PC and all major consoles.
Why did you decide to use Unity to create this game, can you tell us anything about using the engine on this project?
Our designers use Unity to prototype ideas, and it just evolved from there. It’s their preferred engine as it provides an easy-to-use toolset that isn’t genre specific in its aims. With its open framework you’re able to rapidly prototype any type of game.
How long has the title been in development, how long will it likely take to complete?
Fish Tanks has been in development since 2019 and the game is ready to release in Early Access, with the ability for a full-launch before the end of 2021.
What kind of support are you looking for from a potential partner?.
We’re currently looking for marketing and publishing support, as well as a small amount of financial support to allow us to do the console ports.
