Karpe Diem: Pokemon Fishing Contest
It's that time of year again... Karpe Diem!
The famous festival of the Joisey region brings travelers from far and wide to compete in a fishing competition overseen by the widely adored Mayor Slowpoke. Set out on an adventure to become the next Karpe Diem champion, face off against a worthy rival, meet helpful strangers, and solve thematic puzzles.
This fan-made Pokemon slice of life game strips out longtime series mechanics such as battling, badges, and evolutions to instead focus on things like kicking back, relaxing, and reeling in a whopper.
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CONTROLS
Directional Pad - WASD/ARROW KEYS
A Button - Z, J
B Button - X, K
Start - Enter
Select - Right Shift
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PROMOTIONAL ART BY
ASSET & RESOURCES CREDITS
GB Studio
GB Studio Fishing Template
Pokemon Crystal Base Tileset
Pokemon Crystal Character Pack
Pokemon GBC Overworld Sprites
Gameboy Adventure Music
Gameboy Ambient Soundscapes
Gameboy SFX Pack
Gameboy Island Map
Official Pokemon Trading Card Game Sprites
Official Pokemon Gold/Silver Sprite
While I may be friends with Pikachu, I am obviously not an rightsholder of the Pokemon IP. This was created as a tribute to a franchise that has been dear to me since childhood. Karpe Diem was my first project built within GB Studio.
Download
Development log
Comments
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Saw this on Twitch Plays Pokemon, wanted to see how it plays normally...and had a lot of fun. short little game, and I loved the little details of pokemon just hanging in the trees, or passing by a kid struggling really hard to catch that doduo as you walk by.
If you don't mind me asking, when was this on Twitch Plays Pokemon?? I had no idea and would love to see the VOD.
Oh it's just on there right now, I didn't recognize it not in color! That's so sick.
I loved this. I really wanted to find a little fishing game on here that I could just pick up and play when I had the urge without needing to commit to a playthrough of something like Harvest Moon. This was exactly what I wanted and more! The fishing mechanics are engaging whilst also being relaxing. There’s no annoying systems like bait that you can run out of. I can genuinely see myself just fishing by the pond near your house for ages. Actually playing through the game is great too. I love exploring the world. There’s so many little details like the pidgeys on rooftops and trainers catching Pokémon in the background! This feels alive in a way that even the official Pokémon games don’t. The rival is a lot of fun and he even rivals those from the official games (pun intended). The soundtrack is also great and wouldn’t sound out of place in official Pokémon games, especially the rival theme! When I was a kid I really liked the idea of being a character in this world who just lived in Viridian city and would train up Caterpies in the forest rather than travelling the region to become the champion. Doing that must have been my first roleplaying experience and this game has given me the chance to relive that experience all over again
LOVED this omg! The attention to detail is amazing - kids battling each other, others trying to catch pokemon, being able to control pokemon to get around obstacles instead of training them to do so...It's all so, so good! The world feels lived in and active, and it's super refreshing to see what the world of pokemon is like outside the lens of a child and into that of a niche we've not really seen explored before. Fishing is a feature in every mainline series game, and there's a whole line of NPCs that engage w it, yet there's so much we don't know! I love it :) I really, really do. Great job. Do you have any socials? Since playing a couple days ago, I've been jotting ideas down like a madman for a full-fledged pokemon fishing spin-off; the foundation here is absolutely spectacular but I want more! WHY HASN'T GAMEFREAK DONE THIS YET!!
Glad you enjoyed it. My Bluesky should be linked on my profile page.
I'm working on some other projects at the moment, but with how well received Karpe Diem has been I've toyed around with the idea of other games set in the Pokemon universe that focus on other jobs/lifestyles.
i loved this game, its a fun premise, and i enjoyed the care that seems to be heavily put into it : ) The friendly rivalry was great too, glad to see the characters interact in a way that right out of pokemon while feeling natural. I hope you have a wonderful day, Jesus Christ cherishes you my friend
What a lovely game! I really love the small little elements that really made the world feel alive - the kids battling in the field, the frustrated trainer trying to catch, that growlithe guarding the door (there must be a way in!! jk jk)
love the care and thought you put into this, and appreciate the small mini-games as well to shake up the gameplay. 10/10!!!
Thank you, I appreciate it!
I downloaded it and it never showed up... Then one day I was doing something else or other and I found it...needless to say I played and, man...I want to thank you. I felt like I was a kid again playing the longest mini game it was purely amazing and I will be playing again!
Glad to hear you had fun. Warms my heart to know folks felt that same nostalgia I had making it.
This game was so fun! Really really loved the characters and towns folk, they helped make it feel so wholesome/lived in and full of life! Seriously great chill game! Would love to see more like this! I included Karpe Diem in a games round up vid I made for my channel!
Awesome, thank you very much. I'll give it a watch.
I guess I can give this game a try?
Always loved the idea of a Pokemon fishing game, very well done! My only problem was I wish there was more of it!
Thanks! I'm not sure I'll revisit this concept exactly, but I have been mulling over ideas for other Pokemon Slice of Life games in a similar vein.
That would be awesome!
More Pokemon games! Very charmimg and had fun.
Great work birdup, I really liked this one!
The artwork and colours fit the GBC aesthetic great, only took me about 20-25 minutes to complete, but was a nice chill little game with Pokemon vibes.
Greetings birdup,
we hope you are doing great. I am Areeba (aka Titania) from the BrewOtaku-Team, we are launching BrewOtaku #002 - The Homebrew Gaming Magazine soon.
We loved your work and we have mentioned "Karpe Diem” in it. Kindly share your contact details so we can share it with you. You are anyhow free to share this on your social media channels or homepage.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kind regards
Titania
Awesome, thank you very much for sharing the word about the game. You can reach me on twitter @mksf_birdup.
10/10 Would play again! Maybe a sequel with catching bug pokemon in a net or flying pokemon, or fire types...something. This was an incredible experience for me, something calm and peaceful. Great work!
I appreciate the lovely feedback! Definitely considering doing something else in this vein in the future.
I look forward to it! I really enjoyed this one. Maybe with a sequel you could increase the size of the bar and speed the indicator up for more difficult catches such as the evolved forms. But I can tell you put in some amazing effort with this, again, great work!
This is 100% my jam. I love this. Not only was this a delight to play but it got my brain firing in a million directions. Pokémon Slice of Life needs to be a bigger genre. Thanks for creating something cool.
Appreciate the love! Would definitely be pumped to see people take this concept and run with it for other titles.
I tried Karpe Diem out the other day and this? This is absolutely adorable and very fun. It is charming and "spinoff" type of Fangames are always a delight. Not that the Gym Region ones aren't but the creativity found in spinoff fangames is always wonderful to see. I wish Karpe Diem was longer but the length was perfect for this little gem. I'm reminded of the finishing minigame from Link's Awakening DX and a few others but this is a very original little setup for a Pokemon fangame.
Thank you for making this.
Thank you for the lovely review. Glad you enjoyed it!
hi i played your Azumanga game and i have stuff 2 say check out my reviews
Howdy, I saw your comment and left a response yesterday. Thanks for trying it this one too.
This game was so cute! Lots of good humor and characters. It took me way too long to find the squirtle bait lol. Anyway thanks for using some of my assets :)