Dredge Review

• Platforms: Steam, PS4/5, Xbox, Switch
• Price: $24.99
• Release Date: Mar 30, 2023
• Genre: Fishing, Adventure, Lovecraftian, Open World
• Developer: Black Salt Games
• Publisher: Team17

Heya folks, Shaun here, and I’m back with my latest review! In this one, I’m covering an indie lovecraftian fishing game called Dredge by Black Salt Games and Team17. A big thank you goes out to the developer and publisher for the chance to cover the game, it’s much appreciated, thank you.

As mentioned, Dredge is a Lovecraftian fishing game where you take on the role of a fisherman who has taken on a job in an area known as the Greater Marrow. Upon arrival, he crashes his own ship and is given an underpowered replacement to fish with.

With money earned from fishing, you can upgrade your ship in various ways. You can add better fishing gear, new engines, and better lights.

While out fishing, time only progresses while moving or fishing. Day time is the safest to fish in but once night rolls in, so to does the fog and things become ever more dangerous the later you’re out. You also need to keep an eye on your panic meter, which is represented by an eye at the top of the screen. Staying out in the fog too long or encountering strange things out at sea increases the panic meter. The higher your panic meter the more dangerous sailing becomes and you run the risk of losing your sanity or even sinking your ship.

There’s a couple things that I wound up really enjoying about this game. The first is the varied fishing mini-games, which keeps fishing interesting. The second is the quiet unease that the game exudes. The game starts off pretty calm and relaxing but as you complete missions and get further along, things become ever more dangerous and strange as you explore, especially at night.

I honestly think the game is quite fantastic and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s also an easy Game of the Year contender for me. In the end, I’ve decided to give the game a 9 out of 10, it’s a fantastic game and it’s definitely worth checking out.