Dredge Reviews
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!
Dredge is a fine combination of fishing and adventure, gives you peaceful mind and thrill of an adventure at the same time. It shows a number of aspects to avoid repetitive gameplay that fishing games normally have. Also, it is a must-try game for the fans of Lovecraft.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Dredge is a fantastic game that offers some laid back exploration, but enough depth and tense moments to not become boring in its simplistic at times design. The slow build of horror is perfectly balanced as you start to uncover the truth about what is going on, and who this ominous collector is. There were times I was taken aback as a revelation happened, and I understood certain characters. If you’re looking for something easy to sink your teeth in and like horror, but not jumpscare or gory horror, I highly recommend Dredge.
Enriched lovingly with scenic qualities and bolstered by the delightful day/night contrast to which it excels at evoking a juicily contradictive atmosphere, Dredge may not look like a meaty steamboat-empowered expedition, but when you find yourself supplementing your vessel with new hulls and boosts, as well as interacting with the various personalities sequestered on each of the islands you visit, Dredge may look like shallow waters, but it’ll surprise at how quickly it can submerge you in its depths. No, Dredge did not need the horrors of the nighttime, and banging into suddenly-appearing rocks can prove a hassle, but Dredge is otherwise a splendid offering that’s certainly worth checking out.
Dredge is a remarkable blend of polar opposite genres that benefit greatly when mashed together like this. It’s not the deepest fishing game nor is it the scariest horror game, but it blends these two distinct halves well enough so that it doesn’t rely on one tone or style for too long. And because of this, much like the aberrational fish that plague its sea, Dredge is unique enough to be quite the catch.
Dredge manages to be both a fantastic fishing game and a horrifying look at what it's like to be alone in the ocean.
Dredge’s enjoyable gameplay loop of fishing, selling, and upgrading all set on an ocean where horrors await beneath the waves and beyond the fog makes for an unforgettable indie experience.
Dredge is an extremely fascinating game that has its foundations in simple but addictive ludics and eerie, distressing imagery.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This is simply a nautical adventure that continues to surprise, somehow both placid and often tense, routine and yet full of nasty surprises
The two sides of the game meld wonderfully together, while the fascinating world and story on offer serve up just enough to pull you along until the end.
With quite dark touches, which in a few occasions are a bit weighed down by somewhat monotonous displacements, Dredge will not leave absolutely no one indifferent. One of the best indies so far this year.
Review in Spanish | Read full review