Golden Scales in Drawquarium: how to earn them and what to unlock first

What Golden Scales are

Golden Scales are Drawquarium’s progression currency. They appear as glowing golden objects in the aquarium and are collected by the player. The developer describes them as the system that “introduces progression”: you collect them and spend them to unlock new brushes, templates and customisation options.

They are earned by caring for fish. The store page says fish are fed and raised, and that Golden Scales are collected in the process. Keeping the tank healthy — feeding, cleaning, maintaining relationships — is therefore the intended engine of progression, not a separate minigame.

How you earn them

The official material confirms the source (caring for fish and maintaining a healthy tank) but not the rate. There is no published number for scales per feed, per level, per day or per fish. The counts in the official screenshots (9,595–9,615) come from a development build, not a benchmark.

Practical implications:

• More fish means more care actions, which is likely to mean more opportunities to earn — but a crowded tank is also harder to keep clean.
• Growth and relationships are the long game. If scales are tied to healthy, well-cared-for fish, rushing the tank works against the economy.
• Cleaning matters. Leftover food and debris persist; a neglected tank is not a neutral state.

We will not publish a “best scale farm” until the released build can be tested. Before release, any exact farming route is speculation.

What they unlock

The developer’s list is specific: Golden Scales unlock brushes, templates and customisation options. Elsewhere the store mentions new decorations and tools. The category is broad — cosmetic and functional unlocks share the same currency — so the interesting decision is not “what is cheapest” but “what improves the way I play”.

The one known price

One official screenshot shows a locked fish template with the tooltip “Unlock for 2 [Golden Scales] — You have 8”. That is a real data point, and it is the only individual price we can verify. It does not mean every template costs 2, and it does not establish the price of brushes, decorations or lighting options.

A sensible unlock order

This is opinion, clearly labelled. It is based on how often each category is used, not on hidden stats.

1. A brush or fill upgrade you will feel every session. If a tool fixes a real frustration in the editor, it pays for itself faster than decoration.
2. One versatile body template. If you draw many fish, a template you like saves time without limiting colour or pattern.
3. One eye or fin pack. Character readability comes from the face; extra eye styles have a large visual return.
4. Decor and lighting. These change the scene, but they do not change what you can make. Buy them when the editor already feels good.
5. Novelty items. Save the weird stuff for a second tank or a themed build.

If you are the opposite kind of player — you would rather arrange a beautiful scene than draw — reverse the order. The correct priority is the one that matches the part of the game you actually enjoy.

Are Golden Scales microtransactions?

No real-money purchase for Golden Scales is listed on the Steam page we checked. The game is a paid title with a free demo; the currency is earned in-game. That is the current record, not a forever promise. If the developer adds a store or DLC after launch, this page will say so.

The demo is free and includes Golden Scales, so you can experience the unlock loop without spending money. The full game’s price is still unannounced.

Unverified economy details

The last row uses “Nothing listed” because no store entry exists. That is weaker than “confirmed absent” — the situation can change after release.