DREDGE

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 89.6, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 57,365 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 15, 2024) · 300 reviews sampled · 20257 total reviews in window · weighted 243 up / 6.1 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

• 80
  The Jimquisition

  trust 72CreatorApr 7, 2023

  “Dredge reeled me in to the point I sunk hours into it, and even if my patience floundered at times, the net experience was fun to tackle. While its content isn't stuffed to the gills, it’s hard to be crabby with a gameplay loop that had me hooked, and the intriguing horror angle perched on top of a swimmingly good adventure is worth wading into. It doesn’t have to fish for compliments, but since I’m trawling for puns and you’re probably salty about it, I’ll wave goodbye and say that Dredge isn’t crappie. Sea you later!”

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• 90
  INDIANTVCZ

  trust 69Jul 2, 2023

  “Dredge is a unique experience and not only for fishermen. You'll be engulfed by the perfect balance of atmosphere, which is so thick it could be sliced at times. The story's ending isn't hilarious, and you're forced to grind slightly to fully upgrade your boat and abilities. The imaginative minigames and the smooth dispensing of new skills or upgrades will keep you with the game and not let go. It's easy to forget how to use basic abilities. The controls are intuitive, and you will unlikely encounter glitches or errors. If you try the title, you'll most likely never let go and get more out of it than you initially expected.”

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• 60
  Slant Magazine

  trust 68Mar 23, 2023

  “It’s indicative of just how important a game’s moment-to-moment hooks are that even with its shortcomings, Dredge is by and large an enjoyable experience.”

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• 85
  Gaming Professors

  trust 68May 30, 2023

  “As the debut title from a New Zealand studio, DREDGE has won the hearts of many players with its masterful atmosphere, its incentive to explore a visually intriguing world, and its immersive story. This fishing simulator, which combines Lovecraftian horror, logical thinking, quick reflexes, and a relaxing experience, will particularly appeal to more demanding players. Despite the excellent first impression, however, I feel that the developers could have squeezed much more out of the game, as they simply didn’t fully realize its potential.”

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• 80
  Nintendo Life

  trust 68Mar 24, 2023

  “With its encyclopaedia of over 125 fish, Dredge's bounty is a boundless as the sea, its action RPG upgrade compulsion loop as deep. That said, you get out what you put in, during the first couple of hours, anyway. Once you achieve the sweet spot of an upgraded boat, manageable difficulty and a story in full flow, it's magical. The excellent presentation of a terrifying ocean really hits home. The need to stretch the limits of safety to reach your next catch leads to edge-of-the-seat moments, while the slapping rain and eerie creaks of the sound design hardly help you to peace out. Interspersed with confidence-building angling in the sunshine and the fun of slotting oddly shaped creatures into your tight inventory, there's just enough encouragement to keep enjoying the horrors. A wonderful first effort from Black Salt, Dredge is absolutely the kind of game you mount over the mantelpiece rather than throw back into the water.”

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• 90
  A

  Adventure Gamers

  trust 67Feb 2, 2024

  “DREDGE is a one-of-a-kind fishing game with an interesting premise that keeps players engaged throughout. Though its ending leaves something to be desired, DREDGE shines in its ability to create an enveloping atmosphere through its appealing art, well-composed music, and entertaining gameplay.”

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• 90
  Seasoned Gaming

  trust 67Apr 3, 2023

  “The two sides of the game meld wonderfully together, while the fascinating world and story on offer serve up just enough to pull you along until the end.”

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• 90
  Paste Magazine

  trust 67Apr 12, 2023

  “I've rarely played a game with a more satisfying and simple loop in an intriguing and dubious world I just wish I could've seen more of. Between the cults (yep, this game has got those too) and the sort of unexplained nature of Why This Stretch Of Sea Is Like This™, I think it's actually a world ripe for even more exploration. But even if nothing more should come out of it, Dredge is a wonderful experience in smooth sailing over choppy (maybe even supernaturally charged) waters.”

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• 83
  Indie Games Devel

  trust 66Aug 2, 2023

  “Dredge is a solo fishing adventure with strong gameplay design and great sense of discovery. Even if it has some technical flaws, a certain basic repetitiveness and some narrative gaps, its granite design and horror atmosphere make this game a little gem to discover.”

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• 90
  Kakuchopurei

  trust 66Nov 23, 2023

  “Dredge is a great mix of moody atmospheric horror storytelling mixed in with fishing and sailing. The DLC that just came out, The Pale Reach, adds a ton more to an already-packed 10-hour base game, adding 11 new fishes/crabs to catch, a new ice-floe-filled landscape, and new dangers. So really, now's a good time as any to go fish.”

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• 90
  VGamingNews

  trust 65Sep 10, 2023

  “Dredge is masterful in its execution. Black Salt Games takes the most simple gameplay elements and weaves them alongside a sinister storyline, stunning art direction and moving score to create a net that I couldn’t break free from. Like a swimmer carried out to sea by a riptide, I was powerless to resist the game’s pull. I became Captain Ahab; spending hour after hour on the deck of my vessel, hunting the all elusive catch with manic addiction. The story is wonderfully told and brings the human and the eldritch together in magnificent fashion, I urge anyone to give it a try; I guarantee you’ll be hooked.”

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• 95
  The Indie Informer

  trust 65Mar 23, 2023

  “Dredge‘s ending, like the rest of the game, succeeds in marrying bewilderment and satisfaction. The title is, simply put, a must-play. Every element, atmospheric mystery, engaging moment-to-moment action, and brilliant storytelling earns it the top spot in my favorite games of the year so far. ”

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…and 111 more tracked reviews.

1. ❗Update Required

   Oct 3, 2025
2. DREDGE Hotfix v1.5.3

   Sep 18, 2024
3. DREDGE Hotfix v1.5.2

   Aug 29, 2024
4. DREDGE: The Iron Rig - Available Now!

   Aug 15, 2024significant · resets scoring window
5. DREDGE Update: v1.4.2

   Dec 18, 2023significant · resets scoring window
6. DREDGE: The Pale Reach - Available now!

   Nov 16, 2023significant · resets scoring window
7. Update on DLC

   Sep 28, 2023
8. DREDGE Update: v1.3.0

   Sep 18, 2023
9. DREDGE Update: v1.2.0

   Jul 6, 2023
10. DREDGE Hotfix v1.1.2

    May 30, 2023
11. DREDGE Update: v1.1.0

    May 11, 2023significant · resets scoring window
12. DREDGE Update: v1.0.4

    Apr 6, 2023significant · resets scoring window
13. DREDGE Demo Update: v0.9.1

    Oct 25, 2022significant · resets scoring window
14. Demo Update: Build 1516

    Sep 29, 2022significant · resets scoring window
15. Development Update: Sprint 21 Recap

    Dec 22, 2021
16. Development Update: Sprint 20 Recap

    Dec 7, 2021
17. Development Update: Sprint 19 Recap

    Nov 22, 2021
18. Development Update: Sprint 18 Recap

    Nov 16, 2021
19. Development Update: Sprint 16 & 17 Recap

    Oct 29, 2021
20. Development Update: Sprint 15 Recap

    Oct 8, 2021
21. Development Update: Sprint 14 Recap

    Sep 23, 2021
22. Development Update: Sprint 13 Recap

    Sep 7, 2021