Chinook — Is It Worth Playing?
Swim upstream in a cozy, cartoony adventure as a Salmon making the ancient journey through the Columbia River.

Official trailer & screenshots via Steam
About Chinook
Embark on a Journey of Survival and Discovery in the Wild Waters of the Columbia River In this cozy and cartoony adventure, you play as a Chinook Salmon determined to complete the ancient journey upstream through the vast and varied Columbia River system. Swim against powerful currents, avoid natural and man-made obstacles, and discover hidden paths as you navigate one of nature’s most incredible migrations. Along the way, unlock a variety of unique fish species and variants—some with special abilities and some that are just plain silly. Challenge yourself to find one of the games many endings and secrets. Try to unlock everything! Explore serene freshwater environments, from wide gorges to narrow mountain streams, brought to life with an original soundtrack by the worst musicians in the industry (programmers). Whether you’re dodging predators, leaping salmon ladders, or hell itself, every stretch of river tells a story. This is more than a game—it’s a tribute to resilience, nature, and the mysterious journey of one of the world’s most iconic fish. Will you make it home? Features: Learn about the struggles of Chinook Salmon and their journey back to spawn Utilize accurate river currents, shadows, and limited amounts of food to replenish your constantly draining stamina Lots and Lots of secret fish to unlock Perma-Death Mode! Test your skills with this game variant that rewards the player with extra content, endings, fish, and different enemy behavior Secret Levels, Puzzles, Unlockables, Endings, and much more to keep the player coming back Average session time of 25 minutes to complete, but with loads of replayability to keep the game interesting Database integration that allows for special network based puzzles, along with helping salmon conservation efforts in the pacific northwest If you are using a Sony Brand DS4 Controller, you can toggle gyro to use motion controls to move your fish upstream! Happy Swimming! Sincerely, Blood Sweat and Beer
Description via Steam.
Key Stats
Should You Play Chinook?
Embark on a Journey of Survival and Discovery in the Wild Waters of the Columbia River In this cozy and cartoony adventure, you play as a Chinook Salmon determined to complete the ancient journey upstream through the vast and varied Columbia River system. Swim against powerful currents, avoid natural and man-made obstacles, and discover hidden paths as you navigate one of nature’s most incredible migrations. Along the way, unlock a variety of unique fish species and variants—some with special abilities and some that are just plain silly. Challenge yourse…
Chinook is single-player on Steam and runs on Windows. It's on our trending radar right now.
Opens the official Steam store page.
System Requirements & Platforms
View PC requirements & supported platforms
Platforms: Windows
Minimum
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system · OS: Windows 11 · Processor: i5 6500 or AMD equivalent · Memory: 16 GB RAM · Graphics: GTX 1060
Recommended
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system · OS: Windows 11 · Processor: i5 6500 or AMD equivalent · Memory: 16 GB RAM · Graphics: GTX 1060
Chinook — Frequently Asked Questions
- When does Chinook release?
- Chinook released on Mar 4, 2026 and is available now on Steam.
- What kind of game is Chinook?
- Chinook is a Roguelike game. Swim upstream in a cozy, cartoony adventure as a Salmon making the ancient journey through the Columbia River.
- Is Chinook multiplayer or co-op?
- No — Chinook is listed as single-player only on Steam.
- Is Chinook on Steam Deck or consoles?
- Chinook runs on Windows via Steam; Steam Deck compatibility has not been confirmed. No console release has been confirmed.
- How much does Chinook cost?
- Chinook is priced at $1.74 on Steam.
- What are Chinook's system requirements?
- The developer has not published detailed system requirements yet.
- Is Chinook worth playing in 2026?
- If you enjoy Roguelike games like A Simple Square, Slaughter Horse 2, Rain of Awakening, yes. It's on our trending radar.
- Who made Chinook?
- Chinook is developed by Andrew Tate and published by Blood Sweat and Beer.
- What games is Chinook similar to?
- Chinook sits alongside Roguelike games such as A Simple Square, Slaughter Horse 2, Rain of Awakening.
- What platforms is Chinook on?
- Chinook is available on Windows.
Data & media via Steam · updated 2026-07-17 · all trending games →