Megaquarium

Megaquarium is a management sim set around a public aquarium. Instead of roller coasters, you build exhibit tanks for fish, sharks, corals and other sea creatures. Success doesn't depend only on how the facility looks: each species has its own needs for its environment, the technology has to work, and visitors want to be looked after.

The game was developed by Twice Circled, the studio behind Big Pharma. The PC version was released in 2018.

Megaquarium was released for PC on Sep 13, 2018. The PS4 version followed on Oct 17, 2019, and the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One versions on Oct 18, 2019.

On PC the game supports Windows, macOS and Linux. The version offered on the PlayStation Store is a PS4 game that can be played on PS5 via backward compatibility.

Megaquarium was released for PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. On PC it supports Windows, macOS and Linux. PS5 compatibility does not mean a standalone PS5 version, and Xbox Series backward compatibility is not a separate native release either.

The console versions were published by Auroch Digital, while Twice Circled distributes the PC version.

You build exhibit tanks, add animals and keep daily operations running. Different species need suitable water values, food and space. Filters, heating, cooling and other equipment take up budget and space. That is why a new fish also affects how you organize staff, paths and technology.

As visitor numbers grow, toilets, seating, catering and gift shops become more important. Research and ecology points unlock new animals and equipment.

The PC version has four major expansions available: Freshwater Frenzy adds freshwater species, breeding, new tanks and pH requirements. Architect's Collection expands design with bridges, tunnels, roofs and additional animals. Deep Freeze brings deep-sea and polar habitats, including special cold and deep-sea tanks. Invertebrilliant Collection focuses on invertebrate sea animals and further options for tank architecture.

Freshwater Frenzy has also been released as an expansion for PS4, Switch and Xbox One. For that reason, not all PC add-ons are automatically part of the console versions.

For Windows, Steam lists as minimum requirements a 64-bit processor, 8 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 560 or Radeon HD 7770 and 1 GB of free storage. The store lists Intel Core i5-4690 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700U as processors. Steam itself now requires Windows 10 or newer on Windows.

The PC version is also listed for macOS and Linux.

The base game has 97 species. The selection ranges from small reef fish through sharks and jellyfish to corals and crustaceans. Each species has care requirements that must be considered when putting together a tank.

So the question is not just which species look good together. Their needs and the available technology also determine how a tank is sensibly stocked.

Over 100 buildable objects in the base game serve aquarium technology, operation and design. These include filters, protein skimmers, heating and cooling units, feeding stations, doors and decoration. Paths for guests and staff must be laid out so tanks stay reachable and supplies work.

The expansions later add special tank shapes and new structural options.

Staff handle care, supplies and other tasks in the aquarium. When hiring, their skills and development potential count. You can train versatile teams or assign specialists to particular jobs.

Lectures for visitors can also be scheduled by topic and time. This makes staff important not only for daily care, but also for the aquarium's progress.

Attractive exhibits bring in guests, but demanding animals also raise the costs of food, equipment and care. Management links building decisions with budget planning. Extra income comes from catering and the gift shop, among other things.

A lavishly equipped tank is therefore not automatically the most economical solution if its supplies become too expensive.

The campaign has ten levels that build on each other. Each sets its own goals and conditions. New systems are added gradually, so you start with simple tanks and later work with more complex requirements and larger facilities.

Sandbox mode allows largely free design of the aquarium. Its settings can be adjusted. A random challenge generator provides extra tasks if you want new goals alongside building.

The Freshwater Frenzy expansion adds 30 freshwater species and a campaign with five levels. Keeping them involves water chemistry, among other things, and new design requirements. Breeding adds an extra management area with its own conditions for offspring and rearing.

Deep Freeze expands the simulation with 30 cold-water species, eight new tank and technology variants and an additional campaign with five levels. Animals from polar regions and great ocean depths require special temperature control and specialized facilities. The new species therefore also change infrastructure planning.

Megaquarium is a single-player game. On Steam, it lists German, English, French, Italian and Spanish on-screen text, among others. The PC version supports Steam achievements, cloud saves and the Steam Workshop.