Review: DREDGE – A Hauntingly Good Indie Fishing Game
A quietly eerie mix of fishing, exploration and mystery on the open sea
Available on: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox
Genre: Spooky, Exploration, Adventure
Developer: Black Salt Games
Publisher: Team 17
How Cozy? ⭐⭐⭐ There are some tense and spooky elements
Game Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5
DREDGE is one of those rare games that manages to feel both calm and unnerving at the same time. You spend your days sailing a small fishing boat between misty islands, catching fish and helping out the locals. But once the sun goes down, strange things start to stir in the dark waters, and it quickly becomes clear that not everything in this world is as it seems.
I loved the balance the game strikes, relaxing exploration and simple, satisfying tasks by day, with a creeping sense of dread at night. It’s not a traditional cozy game, but it has the same gentle flow, just with a darker, spooky edge.
Story
You arrive in a remote fishing town after your boat wrecks, taking on work from the local mayor to get back on your feet. From there, you travel between small island communities, meeting their inhabitants and uncovering a story that’s far stranger than it first appears.
Each location has its own history and problems to solve, and the more you explore, the more you piece together the island’s mysteries. The storytelling is subtle, most of it delivered through conversation, discoveries at sea, and the fish you haul up from the depths. It’s an effective way to build tension without ever resorting to jump scares or combat.
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Gameplay
At its core, DREDGE is a fishing and exploration game. You’ll spend your time catching fish, upgrading your boat, and completing small tasks for locals. The fishing mini-game is simple but well designed, it’s a short rhythm-based challenge that keeps each catch engaging. Inventory management uses a Tetris-style layout in your boat’s hold, which adds a fun bit of strategy to how you store your catch and equipment.
As night falls, the tone changes completely. Visibility drops, your character’s panic increases, and strange shapes begin to appear in the water. Repairs are expensive, so learning when to push your luck and when to turn back becomes part of the fun.
The pacing is very well done too, each area introduces new equipment to unlock and new fish, keeping the loop fresh all the way through.
Graphics and Visuals
The art style is striking. DREDGE uses a stylised, slightly painterly look that suits its mix of calm and menace. The lighting is especially strong, soft and hazy during the day, then harsh and distorted after dark, with sudden flashes of colour cutting through the gloom.
It gives the world a distinct personality and makes exploring feel rewarding, even when the tone leans towards the eerie. The design work sells the mood perfectly without being overdone.
Music
The soundtrack does a lot of heavy lifting in DREDGE. The music is gentle and understated while you’re out fishing, with low, drifting tones that make the sea feel vast and lonely. But as dusk approaches, the score begins to shift, subtle changes in tempo and melody build tension without ever breaking the atmosphere.
The soundtrack blends into the background when you’re relaxed and suddenly sharpens your nerves when things start to go wrong. The ambient sounds, creaking wood, the hum of your engine, all add to that eerie sense of isolation the game captures so well.
Longevity
DREDGE isn’t a huge game, but it makes excellent use of its time. Each region has its own theme, challenges, and fish to discover. The story wraps up neatly, but there’s plenty to come back for if you enjoy filling out your journal or upgrading your boat fully.
You can dip into for half an hour at a time, with just enough tension to keep things interesting. Personally I was hooked on it, and while it is a full story, I didn’t want it to end.
Conclusion
DREDGE is a standout indie title that proves you don’t need combat or chaos to create tension. It’s a beautifully made fishing adventure with a sharp sense of atmosphere and an excellent gameplay loop.
If you enjoy games that mix calm exploration with a hint of mystery, DREDGE is well worth your time. It’s clever, quietly unsettling, and surprisingly hard to put down.
