Community reviews suggest that despite its shortcomings, Aquarist is a, "fine addition to the career simulator genre," offering a "casual, fun game that has a lot to offer". Players noted that the game stands out with, "loads of variety I haven't been able to find in different aquarium based games". Review - Aquarist (Switch) - WayTooManyGames
Despite its flaws, the game succeeds in providing a "chill" atmosphere for enthusiasts of the hobby. Aquarist Switch NSP (eShop)
“Admittedly, that squeegeeing algae off of the sides of the tanks is immensely satisfying. It does have a flavour of feeling like your erasing something off of Microsoft paint, but it is relaxing nonetheless.” fingerguns.net · 3 years ago “Admittedly, that squeegeeing algae off of the sides
Many found the cursor—a tiny white dot—difficult to use for precise tasks like selecting moving fish, suggesting the interface was clearly designed for a mouse rather than a controller. Community Perspectives
While the fish themselves look decent, the environments and NPC models can appear "lifeless" or "dated," with noticeable draw distance issues. Community Perspectives