How do you fix the black screen when joining?
The only developer-documented first step is patch 1.0.4, and the developer deliberately stops short of promising it fixes every machine.
For Dazed Games’ How to Fish, released on Steam on 20 August 2026 (app 4001890) — not real-world fishing.
Quick Answer
Update How to Fish to version 1.0.4 or later before trying generic fixes. Dazed Games says 1.0.4 “hopefully” fixes black screens when joining a lobby and gray-screen startup by no longer forcing fullscreen. If the issue remains after the update, the official note does not provide a second verified fix.
Steps
- Let Steam install How to Fish patch 1.0.4 or a later version.
- Launch the updated build and retry the same lobby join once.
- If your symptom is a gray screen at startup rather than a black screen while joining, note that 1.0.4 addresses that separately by removing forced fullscreen.
- If the symptom persists, stop treating generic black-screen advice as game-specific proof; the official patch does not document another verified remedy.
Requirements / Limits
- This answer is for the Windows Steam release, app 4001890.
- The patch note uses “Hopefully!” for both screen fixes, so success is not guaranteed.
- Joining-lobby black screen and startup gray screen are two different entries in the official note.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming the patch language is a guarantee.
- Mixing up a joining black screen with the startup gray-screen symptom.
- Applying registry, driver or launch-option recipes from unrelated games as if Dazed Games confirmed them.
Sources Checked
- Developer patchPATCH 1.0.4 — How to Fish
Dazed Games' official note: eight-player lobbies, Pufferfish and Whale nerfs, joining/startup screen fixes, and achievement fixes.
Accessed 22 Aug 2026
Still Unverified
- Dazed Games has not published a verified fallback procedure for machines that still fail after 1.0.4.