Dredge is a 2023 fishing video game developed by Black Salt Games and published by Team17. A survival and horror game, it follows a fisherman who faces progressively Lovecraftian creatures as they explore an open world of archipelagos. The player's duties include exploring the area and catching fish. They can upgrade their fishing equipment and venture out to other archipelagos. It follows a day–night cycle; the day is serene, while the game's horror parts occur at night.
Black Salt Games conceived Dredge to be a top-down turn-based game; that notion was scrapped during the game's prototype phase. The company did not want Dredge to be a jump scare horror game, so they built a psychological thriller atmosphere. Five archipelagos were built for the game, four of which are based on geological formations. After development was completed, they approached various publishers before settling on Team17. Dredge was released for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch platforms on March 30, 2023. iOS and Android versions were published on February 27, 2025. Two downloadable content (DLCs), The Pale Reach and The Iron Rig, were released in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Critics gave Dredge a positive reception. Its gameplay, presentation, inventory management system, progression system, and exploration received positive feedback, while some complained about the fishing portions being repetitive. The game's story, horror elements, thriller undertones, art style and soundtrack were also praised. Its DLCs were well received by critics. It was deemed one of the top video games of 2023 by several news outlets and was nominated for numerous awards.
Gameplay
A screenshot showcasing the player's fishing boat. Players explore the world while avoiding sea monsters.
Dredge is a fishing, horror, and survival video game.[1] The player controls a fisherman on a boat tasked with fishing and dredging to make money,[2][3] while helping inhabitants of various islands throughout an ocean.[4] The player can catch regular fish as well as mutated versions (aberrations),[5] such as fish with multiple eyes,[4][6] and dredge for materials like wood and metal.[3] When selling fish, the player is paid more for aberrations[7] and fresher catch.[4] With money, players can upgrade their equipment and boat's functionalities, such as the boat's engine and lights,[8] as well as obtain better fishing lines and nets.[2] To unlock such upgrades, the player has to find "research parts" while fishing or completing a quest.[4][8] The game features a skill tree;[9] the player can improve their skills by reading books,[6] and expand their inventory size using materials.[8] The inventory consists of a grid, where the player is able to rotate fish and equipment to utilize the inventory size as best as possible.[3][7] In the base game, the player can catch up to 128 different species of fish. Each species appears during a specific time of the day and environment.[10]
The game takes place on a day–night cycle, with the clock progressing when the player takes certain actions such as sailing or fishing.[8][10] During the day, the ambience is relatively peaceful; throughout the night, the game embraces horror elements when the fog appears.[2][5]Dredge features a panic meter, which controls the player's sanity.[4] The panic meter changes throughout the night. If it increases,[6] new rocks appear spontaneously,[10] crows steal fish the player had caught,[5] and the player is chased by massive enemies in the water.[2] The higher the player's panic meter is, the more likely these occurrences are to happen.[4][10] If the player does not sleep enough or fishes too long during the night, their panic meter will also increase.[2][1] A passive mode is featured in Dredge, which disables enemies from hunting the player.[11]
Dredge features four archipelagos located around the center archipelago called The Marrows.[4][12][13] Each archipelago features different fish, quests, and enemies.[4]
Plot
A Fisherman sails to the coastal town of Greater Marrow, situated in a distant archipelago, to take up a job as the town's angler. While the job starts typically, the Fisherman notices strange phenomena, especially at night: a strange mist appears, rocks suddenly appear out of nowhere, ghost ships are encountered, and there is hostile wildlife, sea monsters, and the feeling of being watched. As he sails around the archipelago, he finds messages in bottles, featuring diary entries written by a newlywed woman named J.J., who recounts her arrival in the archipelago with her husband. She witnessed him dredging up a mysterious casket from the sea floor, which he opened and released a supernatural fog that plagues the archipelago. A gargantuan sea monster called the Leviathan then awoke and destroyed their boat, killing J.J. and stranding the husband and the old mayor on a small island. The Fisherman finds himself stalked by the Leviathan, which is the archipelago's guardian and is set on preventing the Fisherman from leaving the area.
The Fisherman meets the Collector, a man living alone in an island mansion. The Collector tasks the Fisherman with exploring the other archipelago islands and the ancient ruins they hide to recover several relics. The Collector uses the Book of the Deep to grant the Fisherman supernatural powers. Once the Fisherman collects the relics, he can either hand them over to the Collector or withhold them.
If the Fisherman hands over the relics, the Collector reveals that he is J.J.'s husband, who recovered the Book of the Deep from the casket and discovered a ritual that could resurrect J.J. He had the Fisherman gather the relics, all personal items of J.J.'s, because they are required for the ritual. The Fisherman takes the Collector to the part of the ocean where J.J. had drowned and performs the ritual by throwing the collected relics overboard. The ritual successfully resurrects J.J. but also awakens a massive Cthulhu-like eldritch beast, destroying Greater Marrow and presumably the rest of the world.
If the Fisherman withholds the relics, he confronts the Collector and discovers that the Collector is a figment of his own imagination, an avatar of his own repressed memories and guilt over J.J.'s death. Rather than follow the Collector's bidding, the Fisherman heads out to sea and throws the Book of the Deep into the ocean, resulting in him, the book, and his boat being swallowed by the Leviathan. Afterwards, the supernatural fog plaguing the archipelago disappears.
The Pale Reach
The Fisherman heads south of the archipelago to discover The Pale Reach, a frozen biome that appears and disappears every few years. He helps a nature photographer capture a photo of a ravenous creature resembling a narwhal and assembles an icebreaker ram for his boat. The Fisherman then pursues the trail of an Antarctic expedition crew that disappeared nearly 100 years ago while investigating the Pale Reach. He finds journal entries that reveal that the Captain, Navigator, and Boatswain of the crew became enthralled by the ravaged and still-living remains of an enormous eldritch monster trapped in the ice. As the crew attempted to free the creature, under the promise of treasure, the First Officer led a mutiny, which ended in most of the crew dying or fleeing the Pale Reach. Four men remained and became trapped in the ice, still bound to the creature and unable to die. After finding enchanted ice axes, the Fisherman frees the men from their torment, with their deaths killing the creature as well.
The Iron Rig
The Fisherman comes across an oil rig owned by the Ironhaven Company and meets two of its chief staff, the Foreman and the Scientist. The Foreman asks the Fisherman to recover lost supply shipments so they can complete the construction of the oil rig, while the Scientist requests that the Fisherman collect samples of the local wildlife for study. The Fisherman brings back enough supplies for the Foreman to finish construction of the oil rig, and they drill into the sea floor. This causes fissures to open up on the sea floor, releasing a dark ooze that mutates the fish. The Scientist has the Fisherman collect mutated samples; exposure to the corrupted fish causes the Scientist to mutate into a monster, and he escapes to the ocean. The Executive arrives and orders the Foreman to continue drilling, even though it angers the local sea monsters. Fearful of the monsters, but equally fearful of the Executive, the Foreman asks the Fisherman to sabotage the oil rig's defense system to convince the Executive to abort the drilling. With the defense system down, a tentacled sea monster attacks the oil rig, destroying the drill before being eaten by the Leviathan. The Executive flees via helicopter, and the Foreman agrees to continue providing the Fisherman with advanced equipment until he and the rest of the oil rig crew can evacuate.
Development
Dredge was developed by the New Zealand-based independent studio[14] Black Salt Games and published by Team17.[15][16] The game was announced in August 2022 with the publication of a trailer,[17][18] and later in the month was showcased at Gamescom.[19] It was created using the Unitygame engine.[20]:8:20Dredge started development as one of three prototypes created by Black Salt Games, alongside games in the real-time strategy and stealth genres. After the games were playtested by friends and colleagues, Dredge was rated as the most enjoyable and selected for further development.[20]:2:08 The original concept for Dredge was written in two paragraphs and was inspired by games such as Papers, Please (2013) and Moonlighter (2018), with developers wanting at least two main elements in the gameplay. In its original conception, Dredge would be a top-down turn-based game with elements similar to the final version, and not feature fishing mini-games.[20]:3:20
Design
The prototype only included the starting site, The Marrows. The first six months of development were spent working on that area, particularly on controls and the mobility mechanism. After determining the beginning location and most gameplay characteristics, the team developed four additional biomes (archipelagos). The game's producer, Nadia Thorne, stated that they spent two to three months on each biome. The open world concept used for player traversal across biomes was inspired by the design of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017). The game's programmer and author, Joel Mason, stated that the player can visit other archipelagos in any sequence, although the second location of the game is Gale Cliffs, which has a Scandinavian aesthetic. The third region, Stellar Basin, is based on a blue hole, while the fourth, Twisted Strand, is a fog-filled mangrove swamp. The fifth and last region, Devil's Spine, includes volcanoes. The developers had planned an ice biome, but it was shelved and later included in The Pale Reach.[20]:10:42
Black Salt Games did not want to include too much narrative because their team consisted of an artist, a programmer, and a producer. They intended to have characters symbolize various stages of grieving, but this was abandoned during development. The company adopted Yarn Spinner, an open-source dialogue tool, which helped develop the majority of their narrative structure. Black Salt Games enhanced the core plot, which is generated from dialogue, by including messages in bottles and quest descriptions. Rather than using voiceovers, the developers chose to have characters produce a variety of noises.[21]
Michael Bastianes, the studio's 3D art director, stated that they purposefully made Dredge's world unsettling to avoid focusing the game on jump scare horror.[22] The studio stated that they did not aim to produce a horror game, but rather a "spooky game" with a thriller atmosphere and Lovecraftian horror elements.[20]:18:43 Bastianes added that the studio wished to "leave things to the player's imagination". The studio sought to make the day as tranquil and cheerful as possible, believing that this would "create a sense of security" that they could exploit by forcing the player to stay out longer than intended.[22] The relaxing music also contributed to the atmosphere.[20]:19:21 For the game's night phase, Bastianes said they needed to create a fog shader centered on the player rather than the camera. The studio worked on inventing sea monsters for specific archipelagos and the in-between in the ocean; they designed them so that they would be introduced gradually as the player progressed through the game.[22] In contrast, the night features static noise rather than music.[20]:19:21
Art style
Dredge has a low-poly (a polygon mesh that has a low amount of polygons) art style,[10] which has been present since the game's original prototype. Dredge's art director, Alex Ritchie, chose subdued colors and simple shapes to create the game; he described the game's art style as cartoonish, with few gradients. He was inspired by Disco Elysium (2019) because of the game's abstract nature. The water shaders were altered multiple times during the development process. The crew adjusted the hues and transparency of the water when the player was present in various archipelagos. Water transparency was not included in the game during its early phases of development; the developers added a feature that allowed players to view fish swimming in the ocean.[20]:6:27
Gameplay
The upgrading system functioned differently during the early stages of development. The game would display a list of available improvements, which the user could then purchase with money. The developers found this system dull. When working on the inventory system, the developers imagined that it would include the player's loadout system (for example, the player would be able to choose whether they wanted a fast or slow boat based on the engines they had in their inventory). The final upgrade system, which included materials as upgrade items, was incorporated later in development.[20]:23:14
Mason worked on including fishing in the game. He used his expertise on fish, as well as Wikipedia, to decide which fish to include in the game. Ritchie created their appearance and added human traits to the fish's aberrations. There was initially one fishing mini-game throughout development; playtesters reported that it was repetitive, so developers added various versions. Mason believed that the mini-games should be easy and accessible to the player, not like fishing in Stardew Valley (2016). He also stated that Dredge's fishing mini-games are optional, and that even if the player does not interact with the mini-game, the fish would eventually be caught.[20]:26:18
Release
Black Salt Games looked for a publisher since the early development of the game, but were unsure if they could get one because Dredge was the studio's first game. They contacted about 40 publishers, and 20 responded. They settled with Team17, who had seen their content on Twitter.[20]:36:27Dredge was released on March 30, 2023,[23] for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch platforms.[24] The developers released several editions of the game: a standard edition of the base game, a digital edition that also features the Blackstone Keydownloadable content (DLC), and a physical edition that included a poster, soundtrack, and in-game items.[25] In October 2024, the developers announced that Dredge will be released on Android and iOS platforms.[26] Initially scheduled to release in late 2024, the developers delayed the game to 2025;[27] it was released on February 27, 2025, for iOS and Android platforms.[28] A collector's edition for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch was released in November 2024.[29]
The first paid DLC, Blackstone Key, was available from the game's release date.[25][30] The DLC allows the player to unlock the Blackston Isle Workshop, which allows the player to obtain a powerful boat engine.[30] The second DLC, The Pale Reach, was released in November 2023 and introduced a polar biome, as well as new types of fish and pursuits.[31] The third DLC, The Iron Rig, was supposed to come out in the fourth quarter of 2023, but was delayed to 2024.[32] The DLC introduced tasks related to an oil rig that is located in the ocean,[33] and over 50 new types of fish.[34] It was released in August 2024.[35]
Dredge received a "generally favorable" reception from critics, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic.[37] Steven Green of Nintendo World Report called Dredge a "near-perfect indie game".[3] Dredge sold over 100,000 copies within the first twenty-four hours of release, a milestone that the developers had expected would take a year or longer to reach. In October 2023, Black Salt Games reported that Dredge had sold one million copies.[44]
Reviewers praised Dredge for its gameplay and presentation. Harrison Abbot of Bloody Disgusting described the experience as "well-balanced and thought-through",[43] while Nicole Carpenter of Polygon called it "dark yet cozy".[45] The fishing mechanics received mixed responses; some reviewers praised the feature,[2][40][39][38] while others found it repetitive.[9][13][16] Most critics commended the inventory management system,[4][5][43] comparing it to Tetris-style management,[13][45] though Stephen Tailby of Push Square criticized it.[41] The progression system also garnered widespread approval,[46][16][41] though Ali Jones of GamesRadar+ noted the imbalance of late-stage progression.[40] Mollie Taylor of PC Gamer and Ozzie Mejia of Shacknews criticized the brevity of the day–night cycle.[2][4] Abbot compared the game's open-world design to that of Breath of the Wild.[43] Katharine Castle of Rock Paper Shotgun and Jerry Williams of RPGFan praised the exploration,[9][12] and Mejia complimented the game's relaxing atmosphere, saying it became more enjoyable as the player upgraded their equipment.[2] Multiple reviewers noted that the game is not difficult to complete.[47]
The game's story and dialogue have been commended by critics.[10][14][42][38] Green wrote that the story leaves the player to wonder while it also "never truly [answers] anything".[3] Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of Eurogamer and Zoey Handley of Destructoid disliked the plot.[16][48] Gabriel Moss of IGN and Keza MacDonald of The Guardian complimented the characters,[10][42] with the latter describing Dredge as a "clever, compelling fishing adventure game".[42] Taylor found the Gale Cliffs archipelago frustrating, considering that the player is tasked with escaping from a "snaking monster" that is faster than the player,[4] while Stephen Gregson-Wood of Pocket Gamer disliked the fourth and fifth island for not being as interesting as the first three.[5] The horror elements have also been praised;[3][12][13] Taylor said that Dredge is "a near-perfect blend" of horror and cozy fishing,[8] while Gregson-Wood commended the elements as being "brilliantly executed".[5] Several publications wrote that it incorporates Lovecraftian elements,[6][4][9][49] which were praised.[9][40][41][38] Roland Ingram of Nintendo Life commended the mysterious monsters.[14] Alessandro Barbosa of GameSpot complained that its Lovecraftian elements were mostly present in the final stages of the game.[39]
The art style was praised by critics,[4][43][41] with Gabriel Moss of IGN describing it as "mesmerizing" and "colorful".[10] Taylor wrote that "horrific moments make it strangely even more gorgeous to look at".[4] Abbot and Handley praised the soundtrack,[16][43] while Moss praised the overall sound design.[10] Mejia complained that the map could have been incorporated as part of the heads-up display (HUD),[2] while Green complained about long loading times on the Nintendo Switch and disliked that some quests were on a timer.[3]Famitsu complained about the map, saying that they wished it was easier to use.[38] Williams praised the game's controls,[9] while Nic Reuben of NME disliked them.[13]
The Pale Reach for the PC and PlayStation 5 received a positive reception, according to the aggregator website Metacritic.[50] Hirun Cryer of Rock Paper Shotgun praised the DLC's game design, particularly the narwhal. He noted that questions about its story were left unanswered, which was a positive feature.[57] Tommy Holloway of PlayStation Universe said he wished to see more detail in the design of the polar biome; he noted that the area is not as challenging as the main five areas of the game. He complained that the main quest lacked depth.[56] Shaun Musgrave of TouchArcade wished that more gameplay were added to the DLC.[54]
The Iron Rig for the PC received a positive reception, according to the aggregator website Metacritic.[51] Castle saw the DLC as engaging, but also wrote that "it's a shame the world of Dredge doesn't have a stronger reaction to the events of The Iron Rig". Compared to Still Wakes the Deep (2024), The Iron Rig is "a little toothless", according to Castle.[58] Mark Warren of VG247 commended the new types of fish.[55] Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp of Destructoid criticized the inconsistency in NPC reactions, while praising the integrated progression.[52] Erwan Lafleuriel of IGN disliked the vagueness of the story and repetitiveness while praising the streamlined experience.[53]
Accolades
Dredge was named among the best games of 2023 in lists compiled by Digital Spy,[49]GamesRadar+,[59]Time,[60]The Guardian,[61]Svenska Dagbladet,[62] and Polygon.[63]Shacknews featured it on its list of best indie games of 2023.[64]Pocket Gamer and Rock Paper Shotgun featured Dredge on their most anticipated games lists.[65][66]
12345678Green, Steven (April 3, 2023). "Dredge (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on September 3, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
12Lafleuriel, Erwan (August 16, 2024). "Dredge - Critique"[Dredge - Review]. IGN (in French). Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
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