Dredge Reviews
DREDGE can come off as a bit underwhelming if you’ve never played it. The same can be said for most games with a Lovecraftian theme. It’s the type of game where you have to dive into the deep end and see for yourself just how much this game has to offer. The story might be a bit vague to follow unless you go out of your way to find everybody and see what they have to say, but this is well worth it.
If you stare long into an abyss, the abyss gazes back at you. Dredge stops just a tad short of greatness owing to its occasional repetitive nature and indie budget, but that is but a small nitpick against the overwhelming positives it provides. Fishing, inventory management, saving for upgrades and exploration – each aspect of Dredge is gamified just right, and sandwiched effectively to keep you coming back for more. Clocking in at a good 12–15 hours to complete the story, this thalassophobic collect-a-thon provides enough fun, excitement, horror and mystery to tide you through this quaint fishing adventure!
DREDGE mixes moments of contemplation and relaxation with good doses of mystery and exploration. It's an experience whose pacing depends a lot on how the player wants to interact in the game world and rewarding it, regardless of which approach will give the most anxiety during their solitary and mysterious adventure.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
My favourite aspect of DREDGE is this is just a great game to chill to. After a long hard day at my real-life job, taking on the life of a fisherman proved to be quite cathartic. I had just as much fun spending sessions fishing, turning in my catches, and gradually upgrading my ship, as opposed to making progress in the game’s narrative. I didn’t feel rushed and was happy to take in the experience wherever my mood took me. Of course, it’s only fair this design won’t appeal to every gamer. Some might find the pacing slow or the gameplay repetitive. For me, the tackle reeled me in and never let go. DREDGE is the most fun I have had in a fishing game to date, and it gets my highest recommendation. If you want to try it for yourself, download the free demo on the eShop.
Dredge quickly gets its hooks into you with its addictive gameplay loop, while its mysteries will keep you intrigued. The delivery of its story makes it feel like one of the create your own adventure books of old, giving it a unique identity.
Dredge is the perfect blend of Lovecraftian, mystery, and adventure in a role-playing game. Its greatest strength lies in the perfect harmony of its gameplay, visual, and audio elements.
DREDGE is a great fishing adventure game, with Lovecraftian horror influences. It's admittedly simple, but it absolutely works, and fortunately it ends before it could ever run out of steam.
Dredge successfully blends a Lovecraftian fishing adventure RPG with a gorgeous vibrant art design and a subtle and powerful piano-led score.
There are real monsters in the deep blue sea, and Black Salt Games' fishing adventure keeps pushing to dive in deeper and deeper. With a perfect balance of risk and reward DREDGE is compelling in short bursts perfect for the Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch
Dredge is a delightful game that I easily recommend to anyone. In the start you might have to grind a little so that you can upgrade your ship, but once you’re over that wave, it’s smooth sailing.
DREDGE offers an original single-player adventure and a whole new concept of fishing adventures that we could have. While the storyline takes an important place, the developers let the player discover at his own pace. The system of management and improvement of our trawler works well and adds a little challenge to our adventure. The biggest flaw remains in the repetition of the tasks performed, I would have appreciated a little more diversity in the fishing activity itself. Nevertheless, the title offers several hours of gameplay and a story that we can't wait to discover.
Review in French | Read full review
DREDGE’s numerous gameplay systems that don’t overwhelm but invite players are a cloak and dagger for the true horrors that’ll keep you lost at sea. Phenomenal in its art direction and engrossing to play, it’s clear that Black Salt Games have dredged up a mystifying debut.
Dredge is a fishing RPG, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security thinking that it is a cozy game. It is a slowly creeping horror title that lets its mystery engage you until it has caught you in its slimy tendrils and doesn’t let go. While it might be a little slow starting out, once the momentum kicks in, it takes you for a ride. It is a triumph in atmospheric and immersive storytelling. The addictive fishing elements lure you into an addictive game loop, and you stick around for its mystery. You can also just keep fishing and ignore all the strangeness if the fishing loop is what you’re in for, but heed the call of the deep, as its creeping chaos is definitely worth exploring.
Dredge is an absolute gem. It features a rich, compelling narrative alongside an excellent gameplay and upgrade loop. It doesn’t overstay its welcome and has an excellent narrative. It is a game that you should not miss.
Dredge is a masterclass in atmosphere, worldbuilding, tactile mechanics, and game flow. Like all sinister-feeling things, by the time you get to the end of the line you might wish you had never kept going. But in Dredge, it’s impossible not to.