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 a fishing and exploration game set across a collection of remote islands where something is very clearly not quite right. By day, you sail between fishing spots, fill your boat with whatever you can catch and return to port to sell it. Stay out too late, though, and the sea becomes a very different place.
I loved DREDGE almost immediately. The basic routine of heading out, fishing, returning to port and gradually improving my boat is incredibly satisfying, but there is always something slightly unsettling sitting underneath it. Even during the quieter moments, the game never lets you completely forget that there are much stranger things hiding beneath the surface.
That balance is probably what I enjoyed most. DREDGE can be calm and methodical one minute and genuinely tense the next, without either side overwhelming the other. It is not traditionally cozy, but there is something very relaxing about its slower stretches of fishing and exploration.
Story
You arrive in the small fishing town of Greater Marrow after wrecking your boat and quickly find yourself taking on work to repay the cost of a replacement. What initially looks like a fairly simple fishing job soon starts to become much stranger as you explore the surrounding islands and meet the people living there.
The main story gradually sends you further away from the safety of the starting area, with each region introducing new characters, problems and pieces of the wider mystery. I liked that DREDGE never feels in a rush to explain everything. A lot of the story comes through conversations, strange objects, abandoned places and the increasingly unusual things you pull out of the sea.
There is plenty of darkness to it, but it rarely relies on obvious horror. The tension comes more from what you do not quite understand, especially when characters start mentioning things that clearly should not be happening.
I found that much more effective than constant jump scares or combat. The mystery gives you a reason to keep exploring, while the relatively quiet storytelling suits the slower pace of sailing between islands.
Related: Fancy another spooky game?
Check out my list of top spooky games that still feel cozy
Gameplay
Most of DREDGE revolves around fishing, selling your catch, upgrading your boat and slowly exploring further out into the map. The fishing mini-games are simple, but there is enough variety between different catches to keep them enjoyable, and I always found it satisfying to stop at another fishing spot on the way back to port.
Your boat has limited storage, so every catch has to fit into a small Tetris-style grid alongside your equipment. I really liked this part. Working out how to squeeze everything in before heading home adds just enough strategy without making the game feel complicated.
Selling your fish lets you pay for repairs and gradually improve your boat with better engines, rods and lights. The progression feels really well paced, and each upgrade gives you a reason to travel a little further or try somewhere new.
Nighttime is where things become much more tense. Visibility drops, your panic rises and strange things start appearing in the water, so there is always a bit of risk in deciding whether to stay out for one last catch. I never found it overwhelmingly scary, but it adds just enough pressure to make those journeys back to port feel much more exciting.
Graphics and Visuals
DREDGE has a stylised, slightly painterly look that suits the game perfectly. During the day, the sea can be surprisingly beautiful, with muted colours, hazy skies and islands that are easy to recognise from a distance.
As evening approaches, the whole atmosphere changes. Visibility disappears into the fog, familiar stretches of water suddenly feel much less safe and the lighting becomes much harsher and stranger.
I particularly like how the game manages to create such a strong sense of unease without needing realistic graphics. The art style keeps everything slightly exaggerated, which works especially well for the creatures and aberrant fish.
Some of those designs are wonderfully horrible. A normal catch can suddenly turn up twisted, misshapen or covered in things you absolutely do not want to think about too closely, and discovering a new aberration always gives you a little reminder that there is something very wrong beneath the water.
The different regions are also visually distinct enough that exploring stays interesting. You gradually become familiar with the map, but each area still has its own atmosphere and identity.
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 is not an enormous game, but I think the length suits it.
There is a full story to work through, several regions to explore, side tasks to complete and plenty of fish to discover. If you enjoy collecting, there is also more to do with filling out the encyclopaedia and fully upgrading your boat.
For me, it lasted long enough that I became completely comfortable with the map and progression systems without the fishing loop beginning to feel repetitive.
It also works really well in shorter sessions. You can head out, catch a few fish, sell them, complete a task and return to port without needing to dedicate hours to it.
Although personally, I was rarely very good at stopping there. There was nearly always another upgrade I was close to buying or another island I wanted to check before switching it off.
By the time I reached the end, I genuinely did not want it to be over.
Conclusion
DREDGE is one of my favourite indie games because it takes such a simple idea and builds something much more interesting around it.
The fishing is satisfying, the boat upgrades always feel worthwhile and the different regions give you a constant reason to keep exploring further from the safety of the starting harbour. Even the inventory management and collecting fit neatly into the main loop rather than feeling like extra systems added on top.
What really makes DREDGE memorable, though, is the atmosphere. There is something genuinely relaxing about sailing across the water during the day, filling your boat with fish and gradually learning your way around the islands. Then night arrives and that same familiar sea suddenly feels completely different.
I loved that contrast.
The game never needs constant combat or huge horror moments to keep you interested. The mystery builds quietly in the background while the fishing, exploring and upgrading remain satisfying enough to carry the game on their own.
If you enjoy exploration, collecting and slightly darker stories, DREDGE is absolutely worth playing. It is strange, atmospheric and incredibly easy to get hooked on.
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