Fish Table Games Explained: How Fish Shooting Games Work

Fish table games are arcade-style shooting games, and they are one of the main categories in the Panda Master collection. They look and feel different from slot games, so it helps to understand the format before you play. This guide explains how a round works, what the numbers on screen mean, and what to check first.

How this site works: you cannot play fish games on this website. It explains the format and handles registration, and the games themselves run on the associated gaming platform.

What is a fish table game?

A fish table game, also called a fish shooting game, puts you in front of a screen full of moving sea creatures. You aim a cannon or similar tool, fire at the targets, and earn credits when you hit them. Each type of target is worth a different amount, so catching a small fish pays less than catching a rarer or larger one. The goal of each session is to earn more credits than you spend on shots.

How a round works

1. You choose a stake. Each shot costs credits, and many fish games let you change the cost per shot.
2. You aim and fire. Targets keep moving, so timing and positioning matter.
3. A hit earns credits. The reward depends on the target's value.
4. A miss costs you the shot. Credits spent on shots that miss are not returned.

The cost per shot and the value of each target are normally displayed on screen or in the game's help section. Look at them before you fire.

Skill or chance?

Both play a part. Aiming and timing can affect which targets you hit, but targets move unpredictably and outcomes are not guaranteed, so skill alone cannot promise a result. Treat claims that a particular approach "always works" with suspicion, in any game.

Fish table games versus slot games

• Control: in a fish game you decide where and when to fire. In a slot game the reels decide the outcome after you start a spin.
• Pace: fish games are continuous, so credits can be used quickly without obvious breaks.
• What you track: in fish games you watch your balance and the targets on screen. In slot games you watch symbols and paylines.

Because fish games never pause between spins, the cost per shot and your remaining credits are the most important numbers to watch.

Terms you will see on screen

• Balance: the credits you have left to play with.
• Cost per shot (or bet): what each shot uses from your balance.
• Target value: what a hit is worth, which differs by creature.
• Special weapon or power-up: a temporary tool, which may use extra credits.
• Bonus event: a special moment in the game with its own rules.
• Round or session: how long you stay in one game before leaving or restarting.

What to check before your first session

• Cost per shot: know exactly what each shot costs, and whether it can change.
• Target values: find the value chart so you know what each target is worth.
• Special features: many fish games include special weapons, power-ups or bonus events. Read how each one works and whether it costs extra.
• Round length and exit: know how to leave the game and what happens to unused credits.
• Your balance after a few minutes: pause and look at it, because the fast pace hides how much you have used.

An example from the Panda Master collection

Crab King III is a fish-shooting title in the collection. As with any game, its exact rules, target values and features are shown inside the game, so read them first. You can find it, and the rest of the collection, in the guide to Crab King III and the other titles.

Keep the pace in check

Because fish games are continuous, they are easy to play for longer than you meant to. A time limit helps more than a spending limit alone, because it stops you before you get absorbed. Our guide to setting a time limit that sticks explains how. Timing-based formats move quickly too, and you can read how crash games work if you want to compare the two.

Ready to try a fish game? Register for access, then request access to a game on the associated platform.

Frequently asked questions

What is a fish table game?

It is an arcade-style shooting game where you fire at moving sea creatures to earn credits. Each target type has a different value.

Are fish table games based on skill?

Aiming and timing have an effect, but chance also plays a large part, and no result is guaranteed.

How is a fish game different from a slot game?

In a fish game you aim and fire in real time. In a slot game the outcome is decided by a spin once you start it.

What do the different target values mean?

Each target is worth a different number of credits when hit. The game's help screen or on-screen chart shows the values.

Which fish game is in the Panda Master collection?

Crab King III is a fish-shooting title. See the full list of titles by type in our games guide.