Dredge Is One of The Best “Cozy” Games I’ve Ever Played
When I saw a video on Instagram for Dredge, I thought it looked cool and different from anything I’d ever played. I’ll give it a shot, I told myself. What I didn’t know was that I might have needed Dredge. And I’m so glad that I found it.
Dredge is a fishing game made by Black Salt Games. It’s actually their debut, which is incredible considering how good is in from a game design standpoint and a world building standpoint and just all around. The art design is elegant and beautiful. The idea is unique and fresh. This is powerful debut from this studio and one that really resonated with me.
The Marrows is the "safe space" of Dredge. Just avoid moving lights at night time.
So the plot of Dredge is simple. You are a fisherman who is taking a posting in an isolated archipelago that, frankly, does not look like any sort of grounded ecosystem I’ve ever been to. Mangroves, volcanoes, tropical areas…hell in the DLC a glacier pops up. It’s a strange place but at first it seems pretty unassuming. You’re likely to spend the first few hours of the game (if you’re like me) in the first area getting gear and learning the ropes. And catching fish.
Yes. Dredge is a fishing game. And it’s fantastic. The mechanics around catching fish are smooth and diverse. It’s a fun, occasionally challenging game loop and it’s not as straightforward as you think. Early on you figure out that something strange is going on……every 5th or 6th fish you catch is…different. Like weird, mutated outer space fish different. There are called aberrations, and it is clear that this is not normal.
Then, one night, you’ll venture too far from your safe haven of the Marrows (the opening twin towns of the game) and you see a boat blowing it’s lonesome horn at you. A friend. So you cruise towards it. Suddenly, a sound that I can only call "music of dread” starts playing and the boat is actually an anglerfish and takes a chunk out of your boat. This is a core moment in Dredge. It’s when you learn that fishing here is much more than just “fishing.”
What a quaint resort. Wonder why it's empty? Well, that's why we have lore.
The primary objective of Dredge is to retrieve five relics for a man called “The Collector” who lives on a private isle near the Marrows and wants to do who knows what with them. We do figure out early on that these are pretty important. Everytime we bring him a relic, we get a special type of power, such as “Haste” that is basically a speed boost, “Atrophy” which lets you harvest all the fish in a fishing spot at once and “Manifest” which transports you back to the Collector. This is all supernatural as hell and it really raises questions as to what is exactly going on here. One word that is two words: “Lovecraftian.” So yes. Not only weird shit, but perhaps some of the weirdest shit.
Of course, you likely figure out that things are afoot long before you deliver many relics. This is because of the night time mechanics in Dredge. At night, the world changes. An new indicator appears at the top of your screen. This is called “Panic” and this is the underpinning mechanic that contributes the horror to this “horror-fishing game.” As it gets more and more severe, you start to see red fog (called “miasmas”), illusionary rock cliffs and aggressive, unkillable new creatures, such as the aforementioned “Night Angler”, the “Monster Ray”, and the “Ghost Shark.” Some of these pop up when your panic meter gets high, others are reliably in certain areas and increase your panic meter. If your panic meter gets too high or you can go past the edge of the map, a massive creature called The Leviathan will eat you. The panic meter can also cause crows to attack your boat and take fish from your haul or your lights to go out randomly. The point its, panic is bad. But as a mechanic, it’s great. It makes a night a truly different experience from the calm and even pace of the daytime.
Mangroves are underused, both in real life and video games.
The world of Dredge is as beautiful and diverse as it is mysterious. And you’re gonna need fishing gear. And a bigger boat. From the peaceful Marrows, to the windy Gale Cliffs, to the warm, sunny and corrupted Stellar Basin, to the muddy Mangroves, to the ruins of Devils’s spine, these places all require different gear and you’re definitely going to want to upgrade your gear. Better lights, new rods, trawl nets, crab pots…there are all things that will serve you well on your Lovecraftian fishing journey.
Dredge, for it’s seemingly simple premise, has a lot of supporting mechanics that allows you to lose yourself in the fishing aspect. Crab pots are the only way to catch crabs and you have to empty and repair them periodically. Trawl nets passively collect fish. Better lights combat panic. Better engines let you go faster. Upgrading your hull will give you more storage space. You collect research cogs to unlock new equipment that you can buy from the merchants (there is a main one in the Marrows and then a traveling one everywhere else.) You collect materials to upgrade by dredging materials up from the water. There’s a trader, a painter, a fish merchant and a whole host of colorful characters which offer various quests and services. Basically, this is a well rounded and deep gaming experience.
The writing of Dredge is sturdy. The world building works through atmosphere and design sure, but it’s really anchored and accented by crisp, unique dialogue. There is an inherently archetypal element to these characters that allow them to function with only a handful of lines relative to what some triple AAA games might need. It’s smart writing and good story and world construction. For example, The Fanatic is clearly crazy, but also knows what’s up. The Hermit is grouchy, but has a story to tell and a fun arc. The local Fishmonger is suspicious. The Traveling Merchant is versatile and crafty. And their personalities shine through. It’s a testament to the quality of this team because it’s a small group, but everyone really nailed their part.
Volcanic ruins have been done before in a video game, but never quite like this.
To say Dredge is one of the most relaxing games of the year is true. To say it’s also one of the most stressful at times could also be true. But what it really gives you is both a sense of confidence and control in your fishing prowess and ability to prepare. You also can play most of the game by just doing things in the daytime, or just fish for a while to relax. It can slide into a lot of vibes and I appreciate that. Sometimes after spending 30 minutes dodging sea monsters in a thick fog getting Object A to Point B, it’s fun to just farm some weird crabs or explore the waters.
I would recommend Dredge to hardcore gamers and casual gamers alike. It’s immersive but also has an escapism vibe that is great. It’s art design is fantastic, it’s mechanics are simple but varied, it’s story is engaging and unique and it’s core gameplay is pretty addictive. I mean it’s hard to see a fishing spot and not want to drop your line in there after a while. The simple highs of catching a new fish mixed with the crazier rush of clutching through a dicey situation at sea make a multitude experiences. Ultimately the only thing you can predict about the open waters is that they are unpredictable.
