Lessons from Happy Aquarium

It’s been over a year since I stopped playing Happy Aquarium.  It’s mainly because around two years ago, my laptop of more than five years has unsurprisingly started to fall apart.  I was also really busy, and so my free time was reserved for loved ones and rest. Since then, I stopped playing the game until yesterday.

I chanced upon the Happy Aquarium icon yesterday when I checked my Facebook account.  I clicked it to check whether it would take a long time for the page to load as it did before.  I was thrilled when it didn’t! The first that thing I noticed are the many enhancements it now has compared to the features available when I last played the game—the light switch, large tank, hybrid fish variety, and nursery tank, among others.

Needless to say, playing Happy Aquarium is among my favorite past times.  When I first started playing it in 2009, I’d spend at least an hour online everyday to clean my tanks and watch my fishes grow. The goal of the game is pretty simple—earn XPs to advance to the next level (which comes with some perks like unlocking some items available for sale) and collect coins (and pearls) to be able to buy more fish, props, and tanks.  The simplicity of the game and its calming effect are the features that make me look forward to play the game day in and day out. 

While waiting for my fishes to grow (and at the same time realizing that I’ve spent too much time playing the game!) a while ago, I asked myself “what can I gain from playing this game when I could have just read something or cleaned my room, for example?” It then hit me that the lure of the game is its reward system—it is similar to how we achieve our goals in life. 

Values such as diligence, hard work, dedication, perseverance, and patience are rewarded in the game.  A player who religiously cleans the tanks of others (to earn 2 XPs vs. 21 XPs per click in cleaning one’s tank) and feeds the fishes of others (which earns minimal coins as compared to harvesting the coins in one’s tank) values the marginal benefits of working with extra effort when optimal options have been exhausted.   Enterprise is also encouraged, as one can profit from buying fish at a low price and selling high once the fish becomes adult (and has been trained for a higher price).  

I was also reminded of the saying “no man is an island”.  Aside from the benefits of having neighbors for added potential to earn more XPs and coins, having neighbors, who once in a while write you messages and sends you gifts, give one something to look forward to and make the toils of repetitive work bearable.  For the more competitive and output-driven players, the tedious task of cleaning every single tank and doing things efficiently for extra XPs become goals to stay ahead of the game.

In the past two days that I’ve started to play the game again, the pleasant memories came back to me.  I was reminded of simple joys of decorating my aquarium, checking out my neighbors’ tanks, buying fishes and props, hunting for treasures, receiving surprise gifts, naming my fishes, playing with friends and family, and waiting for the fishes to grow.  This is why I’ve decided to check my account at least weekly to unwind.  

         

My new tank. This is where I grow my fishes for sale. I love how the colors blend!