You’d be mistaken for thinking Dredge developers Black Salt Games had released this Lovecraftian fishing game with a healthy library of previously released games to slot it next to. In reality, it’s the debut title from a newly formed studio and a great indicator of the studio’s ability to create engaging experiences in its first outing as a developer. In my opinion, Dredge is a great example of how indie studios are continuing to stand out for producing great games, with brilliant USPs that help them stand out from the very crowded release windows they continue to find themselves in. Simple but interesting mechanics, a solid gameplay loop and a drip fed story that demands player exploration and investment to uncover it all combine to result in a truly fantastic 10-12 hour experience.

There are certainly moments in Dredge that I hated, but luckily for the game itself that is entirely down to my slight thalassophobia, not poor game design. But yes, if you’re someone who can be a little bit jumpy or has a general disdain for the deep ocean then be prepared to have your fair share of uncomfortable moments, especially in the late game.

What Lies Beneath The Waves…

After washing up on the shores of the Greater Marrow with nothing but a destroyed boat and your water-soaked attire, you’re immediately met by the settlements mayor who for some reason trusts you enough to appoint you as the new fisherman for the village. No interviews needed here, although considering the last man in the role disappeared in mysterious circumstances you’d be right to have a little bit of concern regarding the slap dash nature of all of this…

Even in this first encounter Dredge establishes a few key rules of its narrative. Firstly, you’ll be relying on the knowledge of The Marrows’ many residents to piece together what exactly is going on here. But perhaps most importantly, it sets the tone for a story that will leave you with a constant feeling of dread and curiosity. The many story beats you’ll experience, or characters you’ll encounter along the way, all possess a sadness that filters into every conversation you have with them, but you’ll always feel like they’re hiding something too.

It’s one of my favourite parts of Dredge, this constant feeling that you’re never really in control or aware of what’s going on in the increasingly unhinged world around you. This mystery remains a constant throughout, and even the multiple endings on offer leave you with questions that you’ll perhaps never find the answer too. Outside of the main quest this method of storytelling continues to see use, it is very much show, not tell, and it is paced brilliantly across the whole experience. Mysteries exist throughout Dredge, take the downed planes in the Twisted Strand, or those creepy hooded figures who demand nothing but fish. When the credits roll these mysteries remain, but Dredge offers up enough to let you draw your own conclusions, should you wish of course.

I have no wish to spoil any aspects of the story Dredge tells, doing so would ruin a huge part of what made the experience so memorable to me. Shall we move on to less spoiler-heavy bits then?

Sailing Accursed Oceans

Dredge‘s core gameplay loop is admittedly a rather simple one. Being thrust into the ocean with a bolted together boat, your one goal is to fish and earn money to upgrade your boat in order to fish more. Rarer fish are worth more, but storing fish for too long will see them rot and become worthless, it’s a balancing act of exploration and ensuring you’re back at a vendor in time to make some sweet moolah. Fishing is presented in a similar way to that seen in Stardew Valley, over time you’ll manage to reel in most catches, but succeeding at a rhythm based mini-game will speed things up significantly.

Across the game these mini-games will alter slightly, but the core concept remains the same and it’s an effective way of breaking up extended periods of exploration. Profits you make from fishing will mainly be invested into upgrading your boats in various ways. Faster engines, brighter lamps, and more effective fishing gear are just a few of the varying upgrade paths you can choose from. You’ll also unlock the ability to ‘dredge’ early on, primarily used to source materials needed to complete boat upgrades, there’s also the possibility of finding buried treasure or even research parts that help unlock new upgrades, oh a pirate’s life for me and all… Boat upgrades are an important part of Dredge, giving you the ability to store more fish on board, as well as make use of the previously mentioned faster engines and so on.

My biggest issue with Dredge is tied to this upgrade system, mainly the fact that as your boat becomes stronger, quicker and more well-equipped you’ll lose a degree of what makes the opening hours so good. A few engine upgrades will let you outrun most of the threats you’ll encounter on the open sea for example, and you’ll likely end up with a surplus of money to the point that fishing becomes a secondary focus to the main story. However, whilst these are certainly concerns to consider, they didn’t dent my enjoyment at all, if anything I felt a sense of accomplishment knowing I had somewhat ‘mastered’ a world I found so daunting just hours before.

As I said previously, it is a very simple loop, but it works so well in Dredge. Honestly, I think a lot of this can be attributed to the general pacing of the game, you never feel settled or comfortable, and as a result there’s always the desire to make your equipment better and your boat more resistant to what lies beneath the surface, more on that later. The moments of tranquility in Dredge come in smaller, more menial forms. Storing fish and treasure in your boat is a constant battle of optimising space and maximising your profits, it’s almost a puzzle of sorts, especially because of the awkward shape you’ll be ramming fish and squeezing treasures into.

Primarily though this is an experience designed to be anything but relaxing, take the map for example. Ripped straight from the age of discovery, Dredge’s map is pretty vague, showing only land masses and objective markers. I love this choice though, it encourages exploration and led to many moments of accidental discovery and wonderment as I made land in a new region for the first time. Too often maps spoil a lot of what is to come for the player, but Dredge nails it and it’s another brilliant way in which that quintessential mystery is maintained.

Fear Of The Deep

It’s really bloody hard to nail atmosphere in any game, let alone one that relies so heavily on it. Luckily, from the offset Dredge builds up and maintains a brilliant blend of fear, uncertainty and intrigue, all of which are carried by the player across their whole adventure in the Marrows. All of this is offset by moments in which the serenity and calmness of the sea make you question if there’s even anything to truly fear. During the day you’ll encounter the gleeful sight of a pod of Dolphins breaking the surface and swimming alongside your boat, there’s even chance to catch the sight of whales if you’re lucky. Then the sun goes down, the fog settles in, and the oceans of the Marrows transform.

The transition from day to night is unnerving to say the least, Dredge stops being a cozy fishing sim and becomes an exercise of survival. As the blue calm surface slips into a black unsettling mass, the ocean’s harvest become mutated, almost alien-looking. Aberrations, as Dredge calls them, are monstrous forms of the same fish you peacefully catch during the day. They’re still worth some gold, but it’s a first hint that things aren’t what they seem under that black layer of the water’s surface. Then the hallucinations start, or are they real?

Panic is both the emotion you’ll likely encounter most during Dredge, but it’s also the name of one of the games most interesting mechanics. ‘Panic’ begins to set in when you’ve not rested for a while, it’s another way in which Dredge gives the player agency to make their own choices, and face the consequence of them. Mysterious shadows appear beneath the surface, Ghost Ships are conjured up on the horizon, and haunting red eyes stalk your every movement across the waves. It’s incredibly unsettling and highlights Dredge’s choice to let the player’s imagination do a lot of the carrying. There are some very real Lovecraftian threats in Dredge, but at times it’s the player’s own mind that takes huge jumps in logic to create them. I’m a little wimp when it comes to any horror-esque elements in games so I was constantly on the brink of powering my Steam Deck down.

Each island has a distinct visual setting and atmosphere, but this constant state of unease is present all over, and ensures you’ll always have a small doubt in the back of your mind even if you’re seemingly in the clear. Basically Dredge is a 10 hour anxiety inducer, so bare that in mind if you’re searching for something a bit more whimsical.

Oh What A Wonderful Sight To Sea!

Dredge’s unsettling nature is complemented by a well-suited visual aesthetic and a soundtrack that offers melodies tinged moments of both grandeur and mystery, check out The Path to the Door, it’s one of my favourite from the list and brilliantly illustrates the strengths of the games soundscape. Melancholic feeling seeps through tracks such as Her Song (Drowned), whereas the ambient music for each region evokes emotions of calmness and a tranquility of sorts. There were many moments in which I stopped sailing for a brief few seconds and just enjoyed the music of the Marrows, for a brief moment all was well in this deeply disturbed world. I don’t think I’ll add it to my Spotify library, but the soundtrack of Dredge fits the game itself like a lovely pair of granny-knitted mittens.

I’m not sure gaunt is the right way to describe Dredge’s visual design but it’s the first word that comes to mind. Character’s are drawn with a sense of heaviness and grit that perpetuates across the wider environment and creature design, it all feels dulled down but without coming across as particularly drab or lifeless. In fact it is quite haunting, especially when visiting locations such as the Stellar Basin, which despite it’s ‘tropical paradise’ appearance is abandoned and lifeless, it’s sandy shores and picturesque corals rotting under the malaise that has spread itself across the Marrows.

The fish designs are a particular highlight, especially the grotesque mutated forms that I can imagine were a lot of fun to design. The colour red is also used in a clever way, in a setting full of lifeless colour, bright red signifies danger and stands out from its surroundings because of its richness against the muted environments. The overall simplicity of Dredge’s visuals, even the UI is fairly easy to understand and utilise, helped immerse me in the explorative nature of it’s story, and I can’t think of many games I have played this year that have expressed so much, with so little.

A Successful Voyage In The Marrows?

Dredge will not be to everyone’s taste, some components such as the vague nature of exploration and the volume of unexplained elements you’ll contend with will be off putting to some. I think it’s pretty awesome though, and I loved exploring a world with little to no guidance aside from some dialogue from a random castaway and a simple map. It’s ability to maintain a near constant sense of uncertainty through little more at times than just suggesting a greater threat is brilliant, and it makes those moments where things truly do take a turn for the worse all the more rewarding and exhilarating.

So why not go forth and sail the calm seas of the Marrows? Just make sure you don’t dredge up things that are better left at the bottom of the ocean…