Drawquarium has surpassed 200,000 Steam wishlists ahead of its November 13 release, with more than 130,000 added in recent weeks. The game's official X account celebrated the milestone on November 12, following the enormous attention surrounding its emotional trailer. Despite the growing interest, creator Kaleb Lechowski is encouraging players to try the free demo before purchasing.
Why the Creator Wants Players to Try the Demo
In a pre-launch message, Lechowski explained that Drawquarium focuses on relaxation and creativity rather than deep progression or advanced drawing tools. He also encouraged players with older hardware to test the demo first, making clear that the game may not suit everyone attracted by its trailer.
Players can draw their own fish and plants, watch them interact inside an aquarium, and use their creations as an animated desktop wallpaper. After earlier demo feedback suggested that players wanted more activities, Lechowski introduced fish breeding, additional creature behaviors, aquarium cleaning, and Golden Scales for customization.
Those additions give the aquarium more to offer beyond watching fish swim around. The challenge is maintaining its relaxed appeal without turning every visit into another list of tasks. Fish interactions and breeding fit naturally into the experience because they give players more reasons to care about what they have created.
There is also a practical benefit to starting with the free demo. According to the developer's official FAQ, fish and aquariums created there carry over to the full game, although players are encouraged to keep backup copies of their images.
Someone can draw a fish, see how it behaves in the aquarium, and decide whether the experience is worth purchasing without losing that creation. For a game built around making something personal, that is a more meaningful introduction than watching a trailer alone.