Derby Creek

Derby Creek is a cozy fly fishing roguelike set on a handcrafted, pixel art creek in the Colorado Rockies. Play as an old timer with a battered tackle box, a journal full of catches, and a lifetime spent reading these waters. The catch? You bring the gear and technique. The fish decide what's good.

At its core, Derby Creek is a tribute to fly fishing. Every Fly follows a real pattern, and every rig uses techniques anglers know. As you fish, your Catch Journal fills with watercolor entries for each species you land. Patient anglers go home with stories and memories of past adventures.

• Real Fly Fishing: Derby Creek takes inspiration from real-world fly fishing. The flies use real patterns, the rigs follow proven techniques, and the fish are species you could find with enough skill.

• Build Your Box: Each tackle item carries tags. The tags from each item combine to decide which fly you tie on next. If you choose the right mix, one catch can trigger a chain of bonuses you've set up. As you add more items, your flies start to get more unique.

• The Catch?: Most fish in Derby Creek show up quickly. Rarer fish need patience and careful reading of the water. As for the legends, only a few anglers ever run into them.

The Catch Journal

Each fish in Derby Creek gets its own watercolor entry in the Catch Journal. When you catch something new, the page fills in. Until then, it stays blank. The journal records the size of the fish, the depth where you caught it, the time of day, and the fly you used. Over time, it becomes a record of your most memorable runs.

The Tackle Box

Your Tackle Box drives every run. Each item you equip can affect your fly, casting, score, luck, jigging, reeling, and more. Stack Split Shot Weights with Thingamabobbers. Combine Hemostats with French Leaders. Try adding Snake Oil, Pool Noodle Chunks, or even an old Bank Receipt to see what new combinations and flies you can create.

Some items come directly from real fly fishing. Others are the sort of things an old timer might keep in his pocket, just in case they come in handy.

The Catch

Cast where you think the fish might be. Move your fly through the water to find the right depth. Trout stay deep when the sun is high. Bass rise in the evening shade. Honey Holes appear in open water but disappear quickly.

When a fish bites, the fight begins. The line tightens, and the rod bends. Some fish come in easily, while others run until your reel is empty. If you land one smoothly, you've earned a Perfect Catch.

Tackle items, flies, skills, species, and the world itself all shape the catch. They deepen the challenge, reward skill, and give you new ways to outsmart the fish… or be outsmarted by them.

Key Features

• 40+ fish species across rivers, lakes, and ponds. Each holds at a different depth, bites at a different hour, and likes a different fly.

• 90+ fly patterns built on fly fishing references. Adams, Royal Coachman, Pheasant Tail. The whole catalog.

• 150+ tackle items with passive effects, scoring effects, and tags that shape what fly you cast.

• Roguelike runs with shifting weather, changing time of day, and a fresh shop pool each time.

• 22+ skills with names like Glass Rod and Honey Magnet. Take one while you have the chance, or let it pass. What you take reshapes the rest of the run.

• Luck is part of fly fishing, and part of every run. Honey Holes flicker on the water, rarer flies bend the odds, and some days the creek just gives.

• The Catch Journal: a watercolor entry for every species you land.

• Hand painted pixel art of the Colorado Rockies.

• Original music by an award winning composer.

• Sound design by the sound designer of Dredge.