Uncover the secrets of Dredge to save yourself from a watery grave in this addicting new indie-developed horror game.
April 05, 2023
By Shelby Busenbark
We’ve seen plenty of fishing simulators over the years, ranging from angling as the focal point to only being a small piece of the game as a whole. Maybe you were first introduced to fishing video games with William Engle’s Gone Fishing , a text-based fishing experience released in 1977 where players navigated the scene with only the N, S, E, W, F and B keys on their keyboard. If you’re like me, you may have vivid memories of playing the point-and-click style Trophy Bass series released on PC platforms back in the mid-90s where you could pick your lake and bait, then cast and reel for your chance at a “trophy.” Or maybe you enjoyed the fan-favorite Sega Bass Fishing
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While there are a limited number of modern AAA fishing-focused adventures in a sea of "sports" games, many big-name series feature enjoyable fishing mechanics like Red Dead Redemption 2, Animal Crossing, Pokemon Sword & Shield, Stawdew Valley and Final Fantasy XV . With advancements in gaming and animation technology, I thought we’d seen every iteration of fishing in gaming in the last 50 years . I was wrong.
The hottest new gaming genre we never knew we needed will have you wondering, why didn’t I think of that? Now introducing, Fishing Horror . We’ve had plenty of fishing-related horror movies and many epic, heart-pumping fishing tales in literature . But the gaming sector hadn’t followed suit, until recently.
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While a number of short-form indie fishing horror games have been released in the last few years, none were designed to be enjoyed for more than 15 to 30 minutes, tops. That was until Dredge
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Are you ready to dredge up the mysteries of 'The Marrows'? Dredge is single-player RPG described as a “fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent ” where you play as a commercial fisherman who finds himself accepting a job opportunity in a strange new town with even stranger incidents occurring in the waters that surround it. The eerie Lovecraftian horror game was coined the “least predictable farming sim you’ll ever play, ” turning the usually chill experience of fishing and farming sims on their head, priding itself on making you more uneasy with every passing night on the water.
During the daytime, Dredge is pleasant and quaint, for the most part. But when the sun goes down, so does your sanity, marked by the rapidly scouring eye at the top of the screen. Gameplay screenshot from jacksepticeye During daylight hours, the only unusual occurrence you might encounter is the occasional mutated specimen or unsettling townie, but roaming at night is a totally different animal. Designed to keep you on your toes, the evenings are filled with strange noises, movement in the mist, magically appearing obstacles and vague outlines of creatures lurking in the depths that will have your eyes darting constantly until you return to port.
You can outfit your boat with upgraded engines, rods, pots and nets to catch over 125 different species and navigate to far-off lands. What I found most enticing at first was the focus on featuring real-life species to catch and sell at the local fishmonger, each requiring specialized equipment to secure. Along your journey, you’ll upgrade your boat and gear to fulfill order requests and fill out your encyclopedia. To collect all the available species, you will need to venture into far-off waters to wrangle up unique, monstrous real-world creatures like the oarfish, gulper eel, goliath tigerfish and even the primordial coelacanth (a fish once thought to be extinct until it’s rediscovery in 1938 ).
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Fishing is simple enough. Get the right gear, find the target and follow the "reeling" prompts. Store your haul in the cargo hold to sell at the fish market. Don't wait too long though or your inventory will begin to spoil. The actual fishing process may leave something to be desired for those expecting a realistic “fight” from their angling prospects, but the variation in the catching process depending on the gear used is enjoyable enough and not overly complicated. One reviewer on Steam phrased it best, “This open-world fishing game with a dark twist perfectly quenches the thirst of those who crave adventure, suspense and hassle-free gameplay.”
Reading books will grant you advantages to your fishing speed and more. I couldn't help but be reminded of Florida Sportsman's own Bait, Rigs & Tackle when reading this title. Gameplay screenshot from Gab Smolders An interesting aspect I took note of as a conservationist was how overfishing certain areas caused populations to be depleted, rendering these spots unable to be fished for a few days. Users on Reddit claimed that if you fished but didn’t deplete spots completely, the fish would replenish to full stocks in half the time. A thought-provoking and poignant addition to a seemingly simple simulator game. If you deplete 25 fishing spots, you'll even be branded with the “Careless Harvesting” achievement .
Exercise caution when exploring, impacts with structure or unexpected enemies will result in hull damage that may cause you to lose inventory items. There’s much more to be explored in the world besides fishing including rock slab puzzles, unearthing buried treasures, plucking bottled messages from the water and dredging up the mysteries of the deep.
While visiting neighboring islands, you'll notice each has their own unique opportunities, inhabitants and secrets. Some will look familiar to Southern anglers, like this sepia-toned mangrove swampland. Beyond the gameplay, the art style is a sight to behold. The vibrancy and use of stylized geometric shading give the game a gritty but visually appealing aesthetic. Calming ambient music, bright colors and atmospheric environments are reminiscent of games like Firewatch and Life is Strange. It’s both gorgeous and ominous, and I love it for that.
Sean McLoughlin, a YouTuber more commonly known as jacksepticeye, reacts to finding the skeleton of an unidentified creature of the deep during his first session of the game. With over 3,000 “Overwhelmingly Positive” reviews on Steam amassed within the first week of launch, the angling Eldritch horror has captured the attention of Twitch streamers and YouTubers alike, being featured by the likes of jacksepticeye , Gab Smolders , TagBackTV and JasonSulli . Evelien Smolders, aka Gab Smolders, stated during her playthrough , “As far as indie games go, this is my most anticipated one this year.”
Sean McLoughlin, jacksepticeye, commented on the gameplay saying, “The loop in this game— like you go out, you fish, you come back— it’s so quick that it really keeps you being like, ‘one more, just one more.’” As anglers, we can all relate to that sentiment of, “Just one more!" that this game captures perfectly.
Mutated or "aberrant" fish are relatively common finds in the game, like this three-headed cod, but a trophy catch is a little more difficult to achieve. Gameplay screenshot from jacksepticeye Many players pointed out that fishing was not something they did often, or at all, so it was extremely heartwarming to see this new game bring the joys (and superstitious nature) of fishing to a whole new audience.
Completing the full game can take players anywhere from 4 and a half to 25 hours, depending on if you’d like to play for both endings or fully flesh out your encyclopedia (catching all 128 species will reward you with the “Master Angler” achievement).
Since launching, Dredge has captivated players with its ambiance, suspense, unsettling revelations and addicting gameplay. Play for yourself and see what the craze is all about. Dredge is available to play now for $24.99 on all major gaming platforms including PlayStation , Xbox , Nintendo Switch and Steam .
