Dredge Reviews
A near‑perfect blend of cozy seaside life and creeping cosmic dread. Its addictive progression loop, evocative presentation, and steady drip of mystery create an experience that’s both comforting and quietly unnerving, delivering memorable moments that linger long after you dock.
This game was amazing. I loved every second I spent in it. There were a few moments of frustration due to being hunted down by a large fish—but I digress. The calm fishing in the morning mixes perfectly with the deadly hunt-or-be-hunted feeling the night brings. I would highly recommend this to anyone! I don’t care what games they prefer, I think anyone who enjoys games can enjoy DREDGE. There is a plot that keeps things moving but it’s not super deep, so I think all players can follow and enjoy it.
Dredge is a solo fishing adventure with strong gameplay design and great sense of discovery. Even if it has some technical flaws, a certain basic repetitiveness and some narrative gaps, its granite design and horror atmosphere make this game a little gem to discover.
Black Salt Games have ‘dredged’ up a surprise Game of the Year contender through the use of engaging mechanics, an atmospherically-rich world, and some of the most rewarding progression you’ll find in a game. While the main story is compact, the amount of side content available to sail through makes it well worth the price tag.
Black Salt Games have certainly proven they can create something that is set apart from everything else. Dredge will reel you in with its addictive gameplay loop and beautiful landscapes. Whilst the story and music lack slightly, for a developer team size of four, this is an incredible feat for a first outing. If you love fishing in larger sized games as a side activity and want to play something solely focused on that, then this is the one!
Like the ever-changing sea it chose as a setting, Dredge hides two distinct souls, initially appearing as a simple and fun fishing game, but also offering a much darker and complex story, creating a world more troubled than the comforting Midolla Major port suggests. Black Salt Games' title isn't shy about revealing its gameplay truths, leaving the narrative to gradually unfold. It's a much more mature and intriguing title than it appears, captivating those who delve into its murky waters to uncover the fisherman’s past.
Review in Italian | Read full review
DREDGE is a vibrant example of what can be achieved when a great idea is developed with love, passion and expertise beyond available means. The New Zealand team Black Salt Games debuts on the video game scene with a gem of rare beauty, dredged up from the deep sea fraught with unnamable dangers and pitfalls. Halfway between fishing simulator and Lovecraftian horror, DREDGE surprises and disorients with the magnetism of a ludic loop in which progression and sense of wonder constantly accompany the player. It doesn't matter if you are a sea dog or an inexperienced hubby: hoist anchor and venture into the fog.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dredge will delight fans of cosmic horror and exploration of a strange world. Fans of survival and crafting games will not find what they want, even though the gameplay is based on such mechanics.
Dredge is one of the surprises of the year. Inside a relaxing fishing game, a Lovecraftian story hides in the beautiful debut from Black Salt Games. The game is great for people that are looking for a easygoing game with a little bit of tension and some side quests that work great with the whole mystery.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Dredge is a great mix of moody atmospheric horror storytelling mixed in with fishing and sailing. The DLC that just came out, The Pale Reach, adds a ton more to an already-packed 10-hour base game, adding 11 new fishes/crabs to catch, a new ice-floe-filled landscape, and new dangers. So really, now's a good time as any to go fish.
Ultimately Dredge is a charming, atmospheric game with excellent exploration gameplay and clever puzzles punctuated by tense moments of fear and dread of what lurks in the dark. I just wish it leaned more into being the game it pretended to be with a larger focus on its simulation gameplay. Because in the end, Dredge makes you think you’re getting a fishing sim with horror elements when what you’re really getting is an enjoyable adventure puzzle game with tacked-on simulation elements.
DREDGE may not go down as a landmark title, but it's definitely one to try to be very, very pleasantly surprised.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Dredge is masterful in its execution. Black Salt Games takes the most simple gameplay elements and weaves them alongside a sinister storyline, stunning art direction and moving score to create a net that I couldn’t break free from. Like a swimmer carried out to sea by a riptide, I was powerless to resist the game’s pull. I became Captain Ahab; spending hour after hour on the deck of my vessel, hunting the all elusive catch with manic addiction. The story is wonderfully told and brings the human and the eldritch together in magnificent fashion – I urge anyone to give it a try; I guarantee you’ll be hooked.
Dredge is a unique experience and not only for fishermen. You'll be engulfed by the perfect balance of atmosphere, which is so thick it could be sliced at times. The story's ending isn't hilarious, and you're forced to grind slightly to fully upgrade your boat and abilities. The imaginative minigames and the smooth dispensing of new skills or upgrades will keep you with the game and not let go. It's easy to forget how to use basic abilities. The controls are intuitive, and you will unlikely encounter glitches or errors. If you try the title, you'll most likely never let go and get more out of it than you initially expected.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Dredge is a game that is clearly inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft but doesn’t push those ideas to make them too obvious. Instead, it uses a slow-building dread to keep the tension high and impose a sense of urgency, as if the world is about to end and you need to complete every quest you have on the go immediately. The gameplay is solid, with just the right amount of micro-management to make it feel like a fishing game while retaining your interest through a gripping narrative that’s carefully woven throughout the whole world. If you like fishing, cosmic horror, and everything in between, then this is a game you’re going to love.
Dredge plunges players into a world of Lovecraftian horror, making it a catch worth reeling in. Its stunning art style and engaging gameplay make it a standout title.
Dredge is the sort of game I never thought could exist, yet does so in such spectacular fashion. I knew nothing about the game before it came up for review. The name alone had me intrigued, and so blindly, I hoisted the anchor and set sail on a journey from which there is no going back. So pack your bags, grab a line and hop on board this rapid review. There’s something dark lurking beneath the water, and the wind’s mournful cry pulls us and this review ever onward.
Dredge is that rare breed of video game that successfully blends a mixture of great titles and creates something quite different and special. From its stunning atmosphere, complete with an ominous soundtrack, to its rich, well-developed mechanics, varied quests, and compelling core loop. To date, it’s one of the best indie games of the year, both because it’s incredibly difficult to put down and forget about
Dredge is a clever game with a lot of ingenuity in the way it is able to surprise and grab the player. Afloat, it's a fishing and management game with a gameplay cycle that conquers frictionlessly, but it's when you dive into its waters that you can no longer escape its bait. The cosmic horror that ties the entire narrative together will make you as obsessed with figuring out what's going on here as much as the gameplay to improve the boat.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
2023 has been an incredible year so far in gaming, and surprises like this make it even better. I couldn’t think of a better recommendation for anyone looking for a gripping game to get lost in. Dredge is an accomplishment in making such a simple starting premise turn into such an addictive experience that it evolves into the further you get in it. Just don’t eat any of those deformed fishes you pick up. You’ll thank me later!