# Hooked! Panya, My first commercial game with Defold - live on Playgama **URL:** \ **Category:** Showcases\ **Created:** [September 9, 2026, 8:03am UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222 "2026-09-09T08:03:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![krishna.wahyu](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/krishna.wahyu/32/11914_2.png) [@krishna.wahyu](https://forum.defold.com/u/krishna.wahyu)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 8:03am UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/1 "2026-09-09T08:03:06Z")
Hey all — solo dev here, gamedev alongside a full-time job. Just shipped my first commercial title on Playgama: **Hooked! Panya** , a portrait HTML5 tap-timing fishing game. Quick writeup on why Defold worked for me. **Why Defold** I’m learning Lua and learning to draw at the same time as building this, on limited hours. Defold’s robust engine and fast iteration loop meant I could spend that time on design and art instead of fighting the engine. With the help from Druid and Monarch extensions, I didn’t have to write a UI framework or a screen manager from scratch. That’s real hours back for actual gameplay work. And the fast iteration loop are very helpful to my workflow (I still remember how long it takes to build HTML5 build in Unity 😅 ). Made testing portal-specific stuff actually manageable solo. Game’s live on Playgama now, still very early so no metrics worth sharing yet. > **[Hooked! Panya: A Fishing Simulation Game | Playgama](https://playgama.com/game/hooked-panya?clid=p_b9e4c773-730b-4a37-ad3d-332d77150a5c)** > > Master your timing in this fishing simulation. Match tension zones to reel in ten unique fish species. Play this game online for free on desktop, iOS, and Android. PS: Thanks for the amazing work from Defold Team, @britzl for Monarch, @Insality for Druid, @Pawel (you’re tutorial on Youtube rocks!) and other fellow gamedevs in here for the inspiration and knowledge ---
**Author:** ![britzl](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/britzl/32/23_2.png) [@britzl](https://forum.defold.com/u/britzl)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 8:51am UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/2 "2026-09-09T08:51:46Z")
Congrats on your first release! It’s a fun game! I noticed a few things: - The game was released with Defold 1.12.1. It’s a pretty old version. There are some benefits to upgrading to 1.13.1 - It looks like you uploaded a debug build, ie with console output from your game visible in the Chrome developer console. - Did you use any size optimization strategies ([Optimizing size of a Defold game](https://defold.com/manuals/optimization-size/#html5))? The game is 6.6MB or so, which is not too bad, but maybe you can reduce size further by excluding engine features you don’t need? - I think you should add keyboard controls. The Space key could be used to Reel in fish and to Cast Again. ---
**Author:** ![JuLongZhiLu](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/julongzhilu/32/42720_2.png) [@JuLongZhiLu](https://forum.defold.com/u/JuLongZhiLu)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 9:58am UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/3 "2026-09-09T09:58:32Z")
Congratulation! 🥳 ---
**Author:** ![krishna.wahyu](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/krishna.wahyu/32/11914_2.png) [@krishna.wahyu](https://forum.defold.com/u/krishna.wahyu)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/4 "2026-09-09T14:08:08Z")
Thanks for trying the game, did you encounter the Spirit Koi? 😁 Many thanks for your tips and suggestions, I’ll try to implement it for the next update. ---
**Author:** ![krishna.wahyu](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/krishna.wahyu/32/11914_2.png) [@krishna.wahyu](https://forum.defold.com/u/krishna.wahyu)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 2:09pm UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/5 "2026-09-09T14:09:02Z")
Thank you! 🥳 ---
**Author:** ![LesniakM](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/lesniakm/32/35943_2.png) [@LesniakM](https://forum.defold.com/u/LesniakM)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 4:47pm UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/6 "2026-09-09T16:47:51Z")
Got it! ![image](https://forum-defold-uploads.b-cdn.net/original/3X/5/3/5327d95fd54f73ef0c40d4d4c8666774d63d4a61.png) Simple yet quite entertaining game. I noticed that the “Reel” button reacts to the click release rather than the initial press. Is this intended behavior? Usually, this is the correct approach for UI elements, but for triggers in an action game (like a shoot button in an FPS), reacting to the press is generally preferred because it minimizes input lag. When fishing for legendary fish, clicking when the hook is inside the thin, fast-moving “golden” area is too late, because the hook will have left the area by the time the mouse button is actually released. This actually pushed me toward holding the button down all the time and releasing it when the hook was in the “gold” area, rather than playing normally 🙂 If that was intended to make the game harder by requiring the player to anticipate the right moment and compensate for input lag (precisely, finger relase lag :D), then that’s OK. However, in my opinion, holding the button for too long should be prevented in some way in this case. ---
**Author:** ![krishna.wahyu](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/krishna.wahyu/32/11914_2.png) [@krishna.wahyu](https://forum.defold.com/u/krishna.wahyu)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 4:57am UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/7 "2026-09-10T04:57:30Z")
Nice catch, thanks for the detailed breakdown! The Reel button’s wired to Druid’s `on_click`, and looking at the button API, there’s a separate `on_pressed` event. `on_click` seems to resolve on release rather than press (matches what you’re describing) Switching the reel trigger to `on_pressed` should fix the lag you’re describing, and I’ll cap the max hold time too so holding the button down forever isn’t just a better strategy than playing normally. This wasn’t intentional 😅 just used the default button callback without checking which event actually fires. Going into the next patch, appreciate you flagging it! ---
**Author:** ![krishna.wahyu](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/krishna.wahyu/32/11914_2.png) [@krishna.wahyu](https://forum.defold.com/u/krishna.wahyu)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 9:09am UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/8 "2026-10-19T09:09:00Z")
Quick update from the Panya corner: the **Halloween update** is live on Playgama! 🎃 > **[Hooked! Panya: A Fishing Simulation Game | Playgama](https://playgama.com/game/hooked-panya?clid=p_b9e4c773-730b-4a37-ad3d-332d77150a5c)** > > Master your timing in this fishing simulation. Match tension zones to reel in ten unique fish species. Play this game online for free on desktop, iOS, and Android. **What’s new** - **3 Night Fish:** ghost carp, pumpkin pike and moon catfish. They’re permanent, so they stay after Halloween. Catch all 3 in Panya’s Journal for a one-time 99 coin bonus. - **Halloween junk:** the boots and tires are now a witch hat, a pumpkin bucket and a cauldron. I drew them myself. The pumpkin bucket’s uneven eyes are on purpose, it’s the same “little shock” face Panya makes when reeling a junk 😅 - **Spooky sky:** purple tint, moon and stars from the first frame, until Nov 1 - **Steady Hands:** a new item that gives you one cast with a bit of grace on the timing window - **Desktop landscape:** desktop plays in landscape and mobile stays portrait-only, using separate Portrait and Landscape display profiles. **Thanks to your feedback** @britzl, Space now works on desktop to reel in, cast, and Cast Again on the result card. Thanks for the tip! The size optimization and the Defold upgrade are still on my list for the next patch. @LesniakM, the Reel button now fires on press instead of release, so the “hold the button and release on gold” strategy is gone. Thanks for the detailed breakdown, it made a real difference. I also upgraded bridge-defold to v2.3.0. If you try it, I’d love to hear whether the timing feels fair now, and how the desktop landscape layout looks on your screen. Happy Halloween! 👻 ---
**Author:** ![LesniakM](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/lesniakm/32/35943_2.png) [@LesniakM](https://forum.defold.com/u/LesniakM)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/9 "2026-10-19T15:00:26Z")
I’m glad my previous feedback was helpful! 🙂 I really like how responsive reeling feels now, also spacebar was a good idea too and I prefer it over mouse. It would be great to move to the next level without using the mouse (e.g., pressing Space to advance to the next level and 1, 2, 3 to select upgrades, etc.). Regarding the desktop landscape: everything is fine at fullscreen, but in non-fullscreen mode clouds are clipped. 2k display: ![image](https://forum-defold-uploads.b-cdn.net/original/3X/0/6/06a08b73a81a0a675bbe06250f96531d1bd99223.jpeg) 1080p display (clipping and darker sides are smaller, but still there): ![image](https://forum-defold-uploads.b-cdn.net/original/3X/c/0/c02c76bf6155aa6c87201f4b9944ccc192ec67b4.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![krishna.wahyu](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/krishna.wahyu/32/11914_2.png) [@krishna.wahyu](https://forum.defold.com/u/krishna.wahyu)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 7:22am UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/10 "2026-10-20T07:22:12Z")
@LesniakM Thanks again for such a detailed report, and the screenshots help a lot! 🙏 Glad the reeling feels better now. And good to know you prefer Space over the mouse, that tells me the keyboard flow is worth finishing properly. On landscape, thanks for catching the cloud clipping. I can see it in your screenshots: in non-fullscreen the clouds get cut off at the edge, with darker strips on the sides, and it’s smaller but still there at 1080p. Fullscreen looks fine, so I’ll check how the game area scales and fills its container in a windowed browser. Windowed play is probably what most desktop players on Playgama use, so this matters. I’ll fix it in and improve the keyboard flow in the next patch. Since you’ve played this far, I’d love your take on a few things: - Night Fish: did you find all three (ghost carp, pumpkin pike, moon catfish)? How did you discover them, from the silhouette teaser or the “Night Fish n/3” line on the result screen? Was it clear what to do? - Difficulty: did the moon catfish feel fair compared to the other fish? Did any fish feel too easy or too hard? - Progression: at what point did the game start to feel repetitive, if it did? Did the items (Fish Scanner, Lucky Bait, Steady Hands) arrive at the right moment, or too early or late? Thanks for playing it this carefully, it’s really improving the game! ---
**Author:** ![LesniakM](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/lesniakm/32/35943_2.png) [@LesniakM](https://forum.defold.com/u/LesniakM)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 7:21pm UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/11 "2026-10-20T19:21:31Z")
> [@krishna.wahyu](#): > > - Night Fish: did you find all three (ghost carp, pumpkin pike, moon catfish)? How did you discover them, from the silhouette teaser or the “Night Fish n/3” line on the result screen? Was it clear what to do? Yes, I found all fish (13/13). I don’t know honestly how I discovered them, I haven’t noticed anything special about them. I used fish scanner a lot though. Btw, sometimes instead of fish I catched the pumpkin pot - what is that? > Difficulty: did the moon catfish feel fair compared to the other fish? Did any fish feel too easy or too hard? Hmm, I think “Spirit Koi” was the hardest. There is no fish, that is hard for me personally when I am focused, however when I try to rush, I sometimes fail, so I think thats fair enough. > Progression: at what point did the game start to feel repetitive, if it did? Did the items (Fish Scanner, Lucky Bait, Steady Hands) arrive at the right moment, or too early or late? Hmm, after 6-7 fish its gets repetitive I guess. I just spammed the scanner to catch all fish ASAP. But it wasn’t my first playtrough, thats makes difference for sure. I think items were unlocked at the right moment. I personally felt there weren’t enough ways to spend coins. Maybe fishing rod upgrades? One could reduce the penalty for missed reels, while another could widen the timing window. Combined with much harder fish, this would offer a great challenge for hardcore players - like trying to catch every fish without buying any upgrades, while keeping the game at a reasonable difficulty for casual players, who could earn cash and upgrade their equipment. But still I enjoyed playing at the current state, so I’m not saying that game is bad, just my further ideas 😉 ---
**Author:** ![krishna.wahyu](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/krishna.wahyu/32/11914_2.png) [@krishna.wahyu](https://forum.defold.com/u/krishna.wahyu)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 8:37am UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/hooked-panya-my-first-commercial-game-with-defold-live-on-playgama/83222/12 "2026-10-21T08:37:25Z")
Wow, 13/13, congrats! 🥳 Thanks for answering everything, this is exactly the kind of feedback I needed. About the pumpkin pot: that’s Halloween junk. For the event, the usual boots and tires are swapped for a witch hat, a pumpkin bucket and a cauldron. It’s just a “you caught trash” moment, with a little shock face from Panya. 😆 It’s really useful that you couldn’t say how you found the night fish. I added a silhouette teaser and a progress line on the result screen to point players to them, and you didn’t notice either, so I’ll make them more obvious. Same for the Fish Scanner. If you can clear the roster by spamming it, it probably makes the hunt too easy. Spirit Koi being the hardest, and fair, is what I was hoping for. Good to know the items arrive at the right time too. I love your coin idea. I’ve been thinking about coin sinks for the next updates. Rod upgrades like a smaller missed-reel penalty or a wider timing window would suit the game. Your “catch everything without buying any upgrades” idea is great as a challenge for hardcore players while casual players upgrade. I’ll think about how to build it without breaking the difficulty. Thanks again, and no worries, I took it as ideas, not complaints. 🙂