Who Knew a Spooky Fishing Game Could Be So Much Fun?
Fishing has been something I’ve always enjoyed in both real life and in video games. I have several memories of waking up early as a kid to go fishing with my father and being almost awe-stricken by how quiet the world was during the earlier time of the day. When it comes to fishing in video games I always think of a very relaxing experience that allows a player to chill out and not have to worry about saving the day. In the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, Link is able to take a break and fish as both a child and an adult while on his quest to defeat Ganondorf. Noctis, from Final Fantasy XV, is able to kick back with his friends while his kingdom falls under the control of an enemy empire, and of course, fishing is essential to making a quick bag of bells while enjoying the island of life of Animal Crossing.
Dredge is a mystery horror fishing game that was released on March 30th, 2023, and was developed by Black Salt Games and published by Team 17. You read that correctly, a mystery horror fishing game. If you’re, like me you probably didn’t know such a genre could exist in video games. It was this unique collection of ideas that drew to me Dredge in the first place. While I have spent several hours of my life fishing in real life and in video games (I was much better at catching things in video games), I had never played a game that was solely dedicated to fishing. Many exist out there, some are very simplistic and aimed at small children while others focus on more realistic sim style gameplay for experienced anglers. Neither of these options really ever appealed to me. I always enjoyed fishing as an option in games but never a requirement. While some might be put off about making such adding a layer of horror to a relaxing game type, I found that it works quite well.
Rolling in the Deep
The game opens up with you crashing your boat and being rescued by the inhabitants of a nearby fishing town. One of the first things I noticed was the art style, which appears to be a mix of watercolor and realism that led to a feeling of creepiness. You’ll quickly meet the mayor, who explains that they don’t see many visitors and is surprised even more so by someone who is interested in fishing. You learn that this town is in serious need of a fisherman who can help the town stay stocked up and in return for doing so, the town will grant you access to their supplies as well as lend you a boat. This boat, however, will not be lent out for free. Your first objective is to catch enough fish to pay off the boat loan you now have.
As you begin to set out, the mayor warns you that it’s best to return to the dock before the sun goes down as a thick fog will blanket the ocean making for treacherous sailing. He also states that the true danger isn’t the lack of visibility in the fog but the mysterious creatures that have begun to show up in the water recently that have led to a number of mysterious shipwrecks, similar to the one you experienced when you first arrived.
At first, not running into anything spooky seems pretty simple, return to the town at night and avoid the unspeakable. That is, until you begin to catch aberrations. Aberrations are mutated horrific versions of fish that are much rarer and sell for higher prices despite their grotesque features. I found it extremely odd that merchants were much more interested in these aberrations (that looked very unsafe to consume). This was the first clue that something much more sinister was happening in the world of Dredge.
Fish, Dredge, Repeat
I was worried that the game would be tedious once I got into what I thought was the gameplay loop. Collect fish, sell them to pay off your boat loan, and later upgrade your boat, then rinse and repeat so that you can catch larger and rare fish. Speaking of rare fish, you are also equipped with an encyclopedia that details the different kinds of fish, their location, the best time to catch them, their aberrations, and any other details you may need to know in order to catch a specific fish. While completing the encyclopedia optional, I found it really fun to check out each page to see my collection of different aquatic animals grow over time.
The inventory system was something else I also enjoyed. If you’ve played Resident Evil 4, you’ll be very familiar with this kind of system of inventory management. Items can be turned any way to fit but certain items such as your motor or fishing rods must sit in specific places and cannot be moved unless you choose to uninstall them. Installation or uninstallation of these crucial tools causes in-game time to pass meaning that you cannot just swap parts out on a whim. The storage system was another great touch as you can access it from any dock and not feel obligated to hold onto an item before you deliver them, which is a huge help since you have a limited inventory
Right when that gameplay focus feels like it’s beginning to grow stale the story takes over.
The uneasiness that I felt when selling the aberrations continued when I meet a mysterious man known as the Collector who tasked me with finding relics scattered around different islands in order to “make everything right again”. In return for each relic, you’ll receive a new ability that makes exploration easier and improves the game’s quality of life over time. Some of these abilities include the option to fast travel and a very basic combat mechanic to keep yourself safe at night.
Not only does the Collector give you another set of objectives to work towards but he also introduces dredging. Dredging is the process of pulling items to the surface that cannot be done through the same means as fishing. The sense of mystery continued to build with this new mechanic as there was no telling lay at the bottom of the ocean floor. I quickly found out that my worries were misplaced and that along with the treasures that the Collector is searching for, you can now also gather resources to further increase your boat and fishing capabilities.
No Failing Allowed
While fishing and dredging may lead to very different outcomes, the way there are performed is relatively the same in Dredge. A fishing/dredging spot must be located and if the player has the correct equipment a minigame will start where the fish or other items are slowly reeled in. The reeling speed can be sped up by timed button press that lines with a spinning arrow in the correct zone or by avoiding bad zones in a spinning wheel.
Some might find these mechanics to be nerve-racking at first but I have good news, you cannot fail. No matter how many mistakes you make you will not lose your catch. You may lose out on a rarer fish but the only thing you lose out on is a higher sell price. This lack of fail state made Dredge a lot more enjoyable. I did not have to stress about losing a fish or a much-needed resource if my timing wasn’t perfect. The only thing I lost was my own time. Other fishing games I’ve experienced do have a fail state and while others are more challenging than others I’m glad that Dredge allowed players to explore and stress about their reflexes and timing abilities.
If you’re the type of person that enjoys exploring in video games, than I am happy to let you know that there are also a good chunk of side quests in Dredge. While they usually follow the format of catching a specific fish or dredging up a lost item, being able to interact with more characters in this world made it feel much more alive.
Now just because you can’t fail at fishing, doesn’t mean you can’t lose. At some point, you’ll be forced to explore at night where the horrors of the fog will become more dangerous the longer you stay out on the water. There is a meter at the top of the screen that features an eyeball that turns from blue to red which indicates your sanity. Stay out for too long with a low amount of sanity and you risk being attacked by spirits and ghosts with no way to defend yourself. They will inflict damage to your boat which cause reductions in your cargo space and potentially knock fish and items from your cargo as well. Even if you do take on too much damage and end up with a game over screen, you won’t be set too far back as Dredge will autosave every time you rested at a dock.
I will not spoil the story of Dredge because the mystery of the sea kept me intrigued during my playtime. I often came across bottles with vague notes and received several warnings from various island inhabitants that only pushed me farther into learning the truth. Each character I encountered had a unique backstory of their own that I really enjoyed as none of them felt repetitive. My personal favorite was a lonely researcher tasked with studying a creature in the depths of a basin. Her research station had been destroyed and she was left with very little data in what already felt like a futile environment. While seeing her story fully play out is optional, I greatly enjoyed finding her a companion. It helped make the dreary environments of Dredge a bit more inviting.
One thing I do want to call out about the end of Dredge is that you will be given a choice when you solve the mystery of the game. The game warns you that saving will not be an option once the choice is made. I really loved this as it allowed me to see both choices play out to experience the game with both conclusions. Both endings are super impactful and beautiful in their own way and I recommend checking them both out.
Final Thoughts
I felt the pacing of Dredge was done really well. At the start of the game, the ocean feels vast and unforgiving. Each new island feels like it’s on the other side of the planet but as you progress you unlock travel options that make those journeys much shorter. You go from only being able to carry a few small fish to being able to fish the size of sharks. As you near the end game, fishing and money mostly become irrelevant unless certain fish are needed to progress.
My only criticism was a quality of life one. About halfway through Dredge, you’re able to buy an item that allows you to create shortcuts. This should be incredibly handy but the issue I had was that this item could only be bought one at a time. Only after enough time had passed could you purchase another. While not a huge deal, it made traversal and backtracking in several spots a bit more tedious than it needed to be. I am unsure why this item had a restriction put on it as it was very cheap compared to other items and only had one use meaning it was very difficult to run out or waste.
Outside of this issue I had a great time with Dredge and did not expect a spooky fishing game to be both addicting and fun while also having a great narrative. Dredge is available for PC via Steam and GOG.com, as well as Xbox systems, Playstation systems, and the Nintendo Switch.
