Fishie Fishie is a rarity these days: a one-button game. The only thing you need to do to play is press the space bar. Well, that's oversimplifying even this seriously simple game. Let's go over it.

First of all, you play a goldfish with a bottomless pit in the place of a normal stomach. No matter how much you eat, you're never satisfied. If you crave an explanation, just consider the goldfish akin to the hummingbird, a creture with a metabolism so fast that it has to consume many times its own weight just in order to survive. Most of the reason for that is because of the speed with which it flaps its wings. Similarly, the goldfish in Fishie Fishie apparently swims so fast that it's developed a monster appetite. This is the problem. In order to survive, the goldfish has to eat a ton of smaller fish, and pretty much constantly. If the eating stops for even a second, his hunger level grows.

The goldfish's fullness is measured by a portrait of him on the right of the screen. As fish are eaten, it fills with color. When he's not eating, it empties out. Let it drop to zero, then he dies and it's game over. You're treated to a little ghostly goldfish floating around, and he doesn't seem too upset that he's dead -- it's probably a big relief, actually.

On the left of the screen is the playfield, where the goldfish swims. Left to his own devices, he'll keep swimming in circles to the left. Pressing the space key turns him to the right. Holding it will keep him turning in that direction. To make him swim in a straight line, repeatedly press the space key. This is actually tougher than it seems; trying to get the timing just right tends to be tricky.

Especially when trying to get the swarms of fish that are your food as they meander around the screen. Moving the goldfish on top of a group will sort of hoover them into his mouth. It's fun to see their little eyes go wide with shock/fear/horror as they get eaten. Then it's on to the next group. If you let your guy get hungry enough, a large flashing red EAT! sign pops up, just in case you'd forgotten what to do in this amazingly sophisticated game.

Later levels feature bigger fish that push you around instead of being eaten, but if there are other enemies beyond that, I've not seen them yet because the game is actually deceptively difficult. But it moves fast, it's challenging, and it's free, so give Fishie Fishie a try for Mac, and for PC.