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Ice Lakes similar games & best alternatives

Ice Lakes

PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Linux • 2016

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Quick resume

Ice Lakes is a modern ice fishing simulator with different single and multiplayer game modes and sandbox approach to wintertime fishing. Use and customize wide selection of fishing gear and learn how changing season, bottom topology, time of day and weather conditions affects fish behavior.

Global score

86/100

Genres

Indie, Simulator, Sport

Similar games

    Pros

    • Realistic and relaxing ice fishing simulation
    • Multiplayer tournaments and leaderboards
    • Variety of lakes, fish species, and gear
    • No microtransactions, fair progression system
    • Vr support enhances immersion

    Cons

    • Limited social interaction and cooperation
    • Some repetitive gameplay and grind
    • Multiplayer servers often empty
    • Graphics and animations are basic
    • Lack of in-game tutorial can confuse new players

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      4

      "Players have freedom to choose fishing styles, gear, and strategies without forced routines or paywalls."

      Capsule for Fisher Online Fisher Online

      "Players freely choose fishing spots, equipment, bait, and strategies with no forced routines."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      3

      "Game involves skillful casting, lure retrieval, and fish fighting mechanics with feedback on performance, though some players find it inconsistent."

      Capsule for Fishing Sim World®: Pro Tour Fishing Sim World®: Pro Tour

      "Requires skillful timing and technique to catch fish; tournaments provide feedback and progression."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      3

      "Includes multiplayer races, online tournaments, and leaderboards encouraging comparison and competition among players."

      Capsule for MX vs. ATV Reflex MX vs. ATV Reflex

      "Includes multiplayer tournaments and leaderboards fostering competition among players."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      3

      "Players report habitual play and long sessions, motivated by progression, unlocks, and ongoing updates."

      Capsule for We Need To Go Deeper We Need To Go Deeper

      "Players report long sessions and habitual play, motivated by tournaments and gear upgrades."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      1

      "Multiplayer allows playing with friends or others, but cooperation is limited; mostly competitive or independent play."

      Capsule for Crash Drive 2 Crash Drive 2

      "Multiplayer allows playing with friends but mostly competitive rather than cooperative."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      1

      "Some customization of rods and bait, but limited creative expression overall."

      Capsule for Trophy Fishing 2 Trophy Fishing 2

      "Customization of gear and bait exists but limited creative building or modification."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -2

      "Competitive aspects exist but interactions emphasize friendly competition rather than domination or power over others."

      Capsule for Hamster Playground Hamster Playground

      "Competitive but interactions emphasize fair play and mutual respect rather than domination."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "Players use the game as a relaxing escape from real life, stress relief, and to simulate fishing when unable to fish outdoors."

      Capsule for Fishing Adventure Fishing Adventure

      "Players use the game as a relaxing escape from real life, enjoying peaceful fishing atmospheres."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of personal interest and enjoyment, not obligation."

      Capsule for Garry's Mod Garry's Mod

      "Players engage voluntarily out of personal interest and enjoyment, not obligation."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      3

      "Players try different baits, fishing spots, and gear to discover effective strategies."

      Capsule for Voodoo Fishin' Voodoo Fishin'

      "Players try different baits, depths, and equipment combinations to improve catches."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      3

      "Large handcrafted lakes and multiple venues encourage discovering new fishing spots and environments."

      Capsule for Fishing Sim World®: Pro Tour Fishing Sim World®: Pro Tour

      "Multiple lakes and maps encourage discovering new fishing spots and environments."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      2

      "Character customization and gear choices allow some self-expression."

      Capsule for Voodoo Fishin' Voodoo Fishin'

      "Some character and gear customization allows modest self-expression."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      -1

      "The game is a stylized fishing simulation with some light fantasy elements but mostly realistic themes."

      Capsule for Pacifish Pacifish

      "Focuses on realistic ice fishing simulation rather than fantastical elements."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      1

      "Some community aspects exist but mostly solo play with limited social connection."

      Capsule for Havendock Havendock

      "Community aspects exist but social connections are limited and mostly casual."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      3

      "Players develop fishing skills and knowledge, and progress through levels and gear upgrades."

      Capsule for Trophy Fishing 2 Trophy Fishing 2

      "Players develop fishing skills and knowledge, progressing through gear upgrades and tournaments."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

      Capsule for 112 Operator 112 Operator

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires focused attention during fishing and navigation; not designed for background or idle play."

      Capsule for DREDGE DREDGE

      "Requires focused attention during fishing; not suitable for background or idle play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -4

      "Social interactions are surface-level and competitive rather than emotionally close."

      Capsule for TrackMania² Canyon TrackMania² Canyon

      "Social interactions are surface-level and competitive rather than emotionally close."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -3

      "No leadership roles; players act independently and competitively."

      Capsule for Splendor Splendor

      "No leadership roles; players participate individually or in peer competition."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      4

      "Strong progression through leveling, unlocking items, and acquiring better gear."

      Capsule for Looterkings Looterkings

      "Strong progression through earning money, buying better gear, and unlocking equipment."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      4

      "Many players find the game relaxing and meditative, balancing challenge with enjoyment."

      Capsule for Planet Zoo Planet Zoo

      "Many players find the game relaxing and meditative, balancing challenge and calm."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      2

      "Enjoyable visual and auditory stimulation from fish animations, water effects, and music."

      Capsule for FISHERY FISHERY

      "Enjoyable visual and auditory atmosphere with satisfying fish-catching feedback."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      2

      "Leaderboards and tournament rankings provide social recognition for competitive players."

      Capsule for Monster Tiles TD: Tower Wars Monster Tiles TD: Tower Wars

      "Leaderboards and tournament rankings provide recognition and status among players."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      -4

      "No narrative or plot; gameplay is context-free fishing simulation without story elements."

      Capsule for Fishing Planet Fishing Planet

      "No narrative or plot; gameplay is context-free fishing simulation."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      3

      "Requires planning bait usage, fishing locations, and equipment upgrades to catch difficult fish."

      Capsule for Cat Goes Fishing Cat Goes Fishing

      "Requires planning bait, location, and fishing techniques to maximize success."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      2

      "Fish fighting and catching big fish provide moments of excitement and tension release."

      Capsule for Professional Fishing Professional Fishing

      "Tension during fish fights and tournaments provides moments of excitement."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      4

      "Players feel the game offers good content and enjoyment for its price, especially given no microtransactions."

      Capsule for Cows VS Vikings Cows VS Vikings

      "Players appreciate the game's content, updates, and no microtransactions for the price."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      -5

      "Gameplay centers on constructive fishing activities without combat or destruction."

      Capsule for Professional Fishing Professional Fishing

      "Gameplay centers on constructive fishing activities, no combat or destruction."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      -3

      "Low-risk environment without threats; focus is on fishing rather than survival."

      Capsule for Ultimate Fishing Simulator® Ultimate Fishing Simulator®

      "Stable environment with minimal threat; focus is on fishing rather than survival."

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Competition, Status, Story, Expression. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Cooperation. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Survival, Violence.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Last update: 30/04/2026