itch.io

Your work is done. Your shift is not. Go fishing.

Thank You for the Fish is a relaxed idle fishing companion for your Mac desktop. Put a tiny boat in a corner, carry on with work or study, and check in whenever you want a little surprise.

Free download for Apple Silicon Macs · English / 简体中文 · Optional support

A little sea beside your spreadsheets

• 160 sea creatures, including 10 fictional legends.
• Normal, alternate, luminous and prismatic appearances: 640 collectible appearances.
• A draggable, resizable boat, adjustable bite intervals, and automatic rests after a round of catches.
• A local collection and field guide; no account required, playable offline after installation.

This is the existing v0.5.2 release, shared again for people who missed the first announcement. Try fitting the boat into your everyday desktop: does it feel like pleasant company, or does it get in the way? Share a favorite catch or tell me whether the fishing pace feels right.

Getting started

For Apple Silicon Macs (M-series). Download the ZIP, unzip it, drag the app into Applications and follow the first-launch instructions on the game page. No npm or Terminal setup is needed; the app is not Apple-notarized.

Switch languages in Settings → Language. The app must stay running to fish; it does not collect catches while closed.

Artwork was generated with AI and prepared as local sprites; AI also assisted with code and text. Animation runs locally in the app.

Download Thank You for the Fish · Earlier announcement and discussion

You have a budget of 100. What goes into your home before the outbreak?

Z Shelter is a single-player survival management prototype about turning an ordinary home into a shelter. Buy supplies before the outbreak, then manage food, water, repairs, a small garden and trips into the neighborhood.

When someone knocks, your decisions can have consequences days later.

Download the free macOS playtest · English / 简体中文 · Optional donations

Looking for players who enjoy difficult survival choices

This is the existing early playtest, shared again for people who missed the first announcement. Preparation, daily survival, event choices, optional tutorials and autosaves are playable; balance, presentation, audio and some systems remain unfinished.

Try your own preparation strategy. Which purchase felt essential? Which decision made you hesitate? Where did the routine stop being interesting? Short, specific criticism is welcome.

For people curious about the design, event and item configurations are available in the public companion repository. Game implementation source remains private.

Before downloading

macOS only. Apple Silicon and Intel executables are included; launch testing was on Apple Silicon. The app is not Apple-notarized, so please follow the first-launch instructions on the game page and in the ZIP. No Godot installation is needed.

Generative AI assisted with visual assets, code and text/translation. Music and sound include Pixabay material and procedural effects; credits are on the game page.

Play Z Shelter · Earlier announcement and discussion

A little playtest idea for anyone trying this alongside work or study: tuck the boat into a spare corner, resize it to fit your desktop, and adjust the bite interval to a pace you find comfortable. Then leave it running while you do something else and check the field guide when you feel like a break.

I'm especially interested in the desktop-companion side: does the boat feel like a pleasant bit of company, or does it get in the way? If you share feedback, your Mac model, preferred boat size, and whether the fishing pace feels too fast or too slow would be useful. A screenshot of a favorite catch is welcome too!

Free Apple Silicon Mac download: https://alpacewhite.itch.io/thank-you-for-the-fish

English / 简体中文; switch in Settings → Language. Fishing happens while the app is running, so there are no catches to claim after it's closed. First-launch instructions are on the game page.

Thanks, Lyran! 🙂

For anyone who enjoys digging into survival-game decisions, the public companion repository includes event and item configuration files: https://github.com/AmethystineAlpaca/z-shelter-public

The game implementation remains private, but you can look through those configs without installing the macOS build. I'd love a concrete example of a choice you'd want to face at home during an outbreak: spend your limited budget on supplies, prepare for trouble, or save something for a stranger at the door? What would make the trade-off interesting for you?

The free early macOS playtest is here: https://alpacewhite.itch.io/z-shelter

English and 简体中文 are available. If you try it, even a short note about your first confusing or meaningful decision would help.

Your work is done. Your shift isn't. Go fishing.

Hi everyone! I've released Thank You for the Fish, a very laid-back idle fishing companion for your Mac desktop.

A tiny boat sits in a corner and catches fish while you work, study, take a breather, or wait for five o'clock. You don't need to keep clicking or watch a timer. Just check in when you feel like a little surprise.

Download on itch.io — free, with optional support:

https://alpacewhite.itch.io/thank-you-for-the-fish

A LITTLE SEA BESIDE YOUR SPREADSHEETS

• 160 sea creatures, including 10 fictional legends.

• Four appearance traits: normal, alternate, luminous and prismatic — 640 collectible appearances.

• A draggable, resizable boat, adjustable bite intervals and automatic rests after a round of catches.

• A local collection and field guide. No account required; play offline after installation.

GETTING STARTED

v0.5.2 is available for Apple Silicon Macs (M-series). Download the ZIP, unzip it, drag the app into Applications and open it. It's a packaged Mac app: no npm or Terminal setup is needed. The game page includes step-by-step installation and first-launch instructions; the build is not Apple notarized.

English and Simplified Chinese are included. Switch anytime in Settings → Language. The app needs to stay running to fish; it doesn't collect catches while closed.

If you try it, I'd love to hear which creature caught your eye, whether the pace feels relaxing, and whether it fits comfortably into your desktop. Screenshots of your favorite catch are welcome!

Artwork was generated with AI and prepared as local sprites; AI also assisted with code and text. Animation runs locally in the app.

A sample collection in the English interface:

The dead are outside. The hard choices are at home.

One house. A limited budget. A knock at the door. What would you do to see another morning?

Hi everyone! I've released an early playable version of Z Shelter, a single-player survival management game about an ordinary home during a zombie outbreak.

Download: https://alpacewhite.itch.io/z-shelter

Free, with optional donations · macOS · English / 简体中文

PREPARE YOUR HOME. THEN LIVE WITH YOUR CHOICES.

• Before the outbreak: spend your limited budget on food, water, tools, and supplies.

• After everything changes: ration resources, repair your shelter, tend a small garden, and scavenge the neighborhood.

• When someone knocks: decide how to respond. Some consequences arrive days later. 

Actual gameplay: choices, requirements, and consequences.

A VERY EARLY PROTOTYPE — FEEDBACK WELCOME

The current build includes preparation, daily survival, event choices, optional tutorials, and autosaves. Balance, presentation, audio, and some systems are still unfinished.

I've hit a design wall: I can keep adding items and events, but I want to understand what makes the experience worth returning to. If you try it, I'd love to hear:

• What made you want to survive one more day?

• Where did you feel confused, or start losing interest?

• Which decision felt meaningful—and which felt like busywork?

Honest criticism is welcome. Send feedback. Save a developer.

BEFORE YOU DOWNLOAD

macOS only for now. Apple Silicon and Intel executables are included; the build has been smoke-tested on Apple Silicon. It is not Apple-notarized, so macOS may show an unverified-app warning. Installation guidance is on the game page and inside the ZIP. No Godot installation is needed.

AI disclosure: generative AI tools were used for visual assets (including the intro video), code, and text/translation. Music and sounds include Pixabay material and procedural effects. Further credits are on the game page.

Play Z Shelter: https://alpacewhite.itch.io/z-shelter

Bug reports / suggestions: https://github.com/AmethystineAlpaca/z-shelter-public/issues