DREDGE
A Sinister Fishing Adventure
Ratings
Age
13+
Category
Adventure
Languages
English
Tue Jun 17 2025
- Lower default display settings have been added for lower end devices.
DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten. Manage your crew and your sanity as you stay out past dark, navigating perilous waters filled with eldritch threats.
Dinsun Expert Review
Our Expert Score
DREDGE is an absolute masterpiece of atmosphere. On the surface, it’s a relaxing fishing game with a satisfying 'Inventory Tetris' mechanic. But as soon as the sun goes down, it transforms into a harrowing Lovecraftian horror experience. The way the game manages your 'Sanity' meter—blurring the edges of the screen and introducing hallucinations of phantom ships—is incredibly effective. It’s a game of risk and reward: the rarest fish only come out at night, but so do the things that want to eat your boat.
The world-building is subtle and eerie. Every island you visit feels lived-in but decaying, and the NPCs are just 'off' enough to keep you on edge. The loop of catching fish, selling them to upgrade your engine, and then venturing further into the fog is pitch-perfect. It’s one of the best indie games of the decade, successfully blending two genres that shouldn't work together into something unforgettable. Whether you're a fan of fishing or cosmic horror, you need to play this.
Features
Over 125 deep-sea creatures to discover
Eldritch mystery storyline
Extensive boat upgrade system
Dynamic day/night cycle and sanity mechanics
Featured In
These Waters Are Haunted!
Mac Game of the Year
Cultural Impact Winner: Focus Friend
iPad App of the Year
Apple TV App of the Year
iPhone Game of the Year
Cultural Impact Winner: StoryGraph
Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year
Apple Arcade Game of the Year
Cultural Impact Winner: Be My Eyes
Tips & Walkthrough
Start by fishing in the safe shallows. Upgrade your engine early to ensure you can return to the docks before the fog rolls in and the panic starts.
Gameplays
Carefully manage your boat's cargo space. Different fish have different shapes; fitting them all in requires spatial puzzle-solving skills.
Screenshot
Q&A
Yes, it features atmospheric cosmic horror and 'panic' mechanics that affect gameplay at night.
Ratings & Reviews
Invalid Date
Great performance, a bit of weird UI
Sat Mar 01 2025 Ripp SteakfacePerformance is fantastic on capable devices, and the game supports up to 120fps and controllers. UI is weird sometimes. When fishing with touch controls, the fish will appear at the last place you tapped which is likely on the left side of the screen. You then have to drag it to the right side to place it in your inventory. Why doesn’t it just appear in the inventory for you to adjust? When rotating a fish in your inventory, you get three options: Place, Rotate, Discard. If the fish is in an area of your inventory that it can’t be placed in, the Discard option takes the same position that Rotate just occupied. If you’re looking at the fish and not the buttons to the left of it, you could accidentally discard the fish instead of rotating it. The game sorta resolves this by making you tap and hold on Discard, but I find myself frequently having to check where I’m tapping. The three options could be designed to occupy the same place on the screen and Place can simply disappear when it’s not an option instead of Rotate and Discard shifting upward. “Back” at the bottom right is made more for a mouse cursor than for touch. It’s pretty small and you have to tap directly on it when you’re in a menu. If you’re using touch controls, a touch-based button should be a little larger, perhaps more like the menu options I mentioned above. There’s a few other weird things in the game, like how with some NPC requests you just have to remember where to resolve them, they may not show up in Core Pursuits. I don’t expect the game to hand-hold a ton, but some general guidance on fishing locations or a mark on the map would have been more helpful, especially as the game goes on and the novelty begins to wear.
Nothing wrong except for the people who hate it (and a bit pricey)
Thu Nov 27 2025 LegoFanaticSheeheeThere is absolutely no reason why people should be leaving this game a one star. Sure, it’s not for everyone, especially with the intense scenes and the eerie story, but come on. Just because you have to do a little extra work to get around the map and organize your boat and all that doesn’t immediately make it a bad game. Just because people don’t like the immersion doesn’t mean they have to blab their mouths about it. One common theme as well is complaints about pricing, and come on. It literally says in the description in all caps and bolded, “PAY BEFORE YOU PLAY” just under the in game purchases where the base game is clearly listed as the first purchase. I do agree that the price can be steep for some people, but I think it’s worth it for the amount of rich story there is to discover. Outstanding game, and I hope to play more of your guys’ work in the future!
A reel incredible game that you can sink hours into. Well worth the price!
Wed Mar 05 2025 a.scottstinThe gameplay loop is simple, yet entrancing. You maneuver your tiny boat through a little alcove, reeling up any fish you see and strategically placing them in your ships cargo. You will return to port, sell your fish, and upgrade your boat. Then you take to the seas again! This time you have a stronger engine, brighter lights, more fishing nets, and bigger cargo hold. You discover more fish, and find intriguing new islands with mysteries to uncover. I played this game on the initial PC release and was immediately hooked by its charm! The art style lends itself perfectly to the themes of the story. The gameplay loop is repetitive, but somehow strikes a perfect balance of being engaging and refreshing enough to not get stale through the many zones of the game. There are so many hidden secrets to discover, that there is never a dull moment! When I saw that Dredge was coming to mobile, I immediately preordered the game and have been eagerly waiting since it was announced! Initially I was hesitant on how the controls would port to mobile since I initially played with a controller. I was so pleasantly relieved and surprised just how natural it feels to play this game on a touch screen! Albeit, the controls are fairly simple for this game, it just works so seamlessly on mobile. Overall, this is a top-tier game with one of the best stories in entertainment/media. The gameplay is easy to pick up, and extremely engaging; all the way up to the last moments of the game. I couldn't recommend this game more!
best game on app store
Sun Mar 02 2025 iateabatteryThe first time i saw this game was coming to mobile i was hooked. its very spooky especially that black boat the spawns to make sure you follow your bedtime. the upgrades are very well made and feel actually meaningfull once you buy them. i also think there should be an engine or upgrade to imprive handeling as navigating the tunnels is a royal pain especially when the monster fish in fromt of you and you have to turn around. and also please make the monsters actually a threat and not just a spooky sound and a lost inventory slot. make them strike again after circling around after a few seconds or make you go to one hp instead of disapear. This would make them feel less like an occasional inconvenience you can just tank and wait until your next repair.
One of the best games i’ve ever played
Wed Feb 26 2025 monkey 0096At first glance this game seems like a cozy fishing game. You sail around a quiet archipelago, casting your line, upgrading your boat, and selling your haul to friendly locals. But it doesn’t take long for things to feel off. Shadows move where they shouldn’t, the water churns in unnatural ways, and the further you venture from safety, the more you start to wonder if you should have stayed in port. This game absolutely nails atmosphere. During the day, the world is serene. soft waves, golden sunlight, the satisfying loop of fishing and upgrading. But as night falls, a creeping dread sets in. Thick fog rolls over the ocean, hiding things you’d rather not see. Strange lights flicker in the distance, tempting you off course. And when your panic starts to rise, so does the risk of disaster. The mix of fishing, exploration, and light horror works brilliantly. Upgrading your boat and discovering new, increasingly unsettling fish is rewarding, and the game always pushes you to venture a little farther than you should. The writing is subtle but effective—every character has a story, every island has secrets, and piecing together the eerie lore is just as fun as the gameplay itself. Visually, DREDGE is stunning in a simple, painterly way, and the sound design is top-tier. The creak of your boat, the distant wail of something unknown, the sudden silence that makes you feel like you’re being watched—it all adds to the tension without ever feeling forced. What makes DREDGE special is how it lingers in your mind. It’s not an in-your-face horror game, but that sense of unease never really leaves. It’s just you, your boat, and the dark, endless sea. And something is waiting beneath the waves.
Own Dredge and all add-ons on XBOX. I was invited to the Beta testing.
Wed Mar 05 2025 TITANEUMOverall, they did a pretty great job porting over the game to a mobile version. Since the Beta (prior to 1.0 release), they still had a few controller button prompts missing, and the touch screen controls, particularly in the inventory, feel quite clunky. I also hope they improve the UI needs for customizing your vessel on Little Marrows, as those menus can be both slow and confusing (especially without visual representations of each Flag and Color options). All of the necessary components from the expansions and the base game were handled really well for the mobile version, and it still feels just like Dredge.
Fantastic game
Sun Sep 28 2025 Gfof10I’m 28, and at this stage of my life I often find it difficult to come across a game that truly captivates me and feels worthy of my limited free time, especially while working 40+ hours a week. Yet every time I come home, I find myself starting up Dredge and sinking (pun intended) at least an hour or two into it. During that time, I completely disconnect from everything else going on in my life and immerse myself fully in the game. I really want to thank the team for putting so much love and passion into Dredge it’s something I feel deeply while playing, and it’s a quality I find missing in many modern games.
Awesome port!
Sat Mar 01 2025 undrxpsdI’m extremely disgusted by a bunch of the 1 star reviews. It’s nothing but people complaining about it not being free. This is a full on game that was released on PC and consoles. Just because it’s a mobile game doesn’t mean it HAS to be free. It’s the same thing as the resident evil games being ported. You get the exact same experience as console so pay full price. I’m sure all those reviews are a bunch of kids with no money. Anyway, rant over. This game is near perfect. The only thing I’d change which has been mentioned is the text size. It’s pretty small and hard to read, even on a 16 pro max.
Some Youtube Videos found!
DREDGE: iOS/Android Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 (by Black Salt Games) - YouTube
DREDGE: iOS/Android Gameplay Walkthrough Part 2 (by Black Salt Games) - YouTube
DREDGE: iOS/Android Gameplay Walkthrough Part 4 (by Black Salt Games) - YouTube
DREDGE (by Black Salt Games) IOS Gameplay Video (HD) - YouTube
DREDGE Mobile - iOS / Android Gameplay - YouTube
SCARIEST FISHING GAME.. | Dredge (iPad Gameplay) - YouTube
Making Waves with DREDGE - Black Salt Games Creator Spotlight - YouTube
dredge GameWalkthrough || mobile gaming let's play - YouTube
DREDGE Mobile Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 (iOS, Android) - YouTube
Dredge - Black Salt Games & Team17 - PC Xbox Playstation Gameplay - YouTube
News found!
Apple has unveiled the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards, recognising 17 apps and games for their technical ingenuity and cultural...
Pocket Gamer.biz Sat Jan 03 2026
Two Kiwi apps feature in the 17 judged the world's best in Apple's 2025 App Store Awards, announced overnight. Black Salt Games, a boutique...
NZ Herald Sat Jan 03 2026
New Zealand-made Dredge and Explore POV are among the winners of Apple's prestigious 2025 App Store Awards.
GadgetGuy Sat Jan 03 2026
Tech Update Apple App Store Awards: Apple reveals 2025's top gaming winners, including Pok�mon TCG Pocket, DREDGE, Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate...
Deccan Herald Sat Jan 03 2026
The 2025 App Store Awards recognize 17 apps and games across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Categories include 'iPhone App of the Year' and 'iPhone...
iPhone in Canada Sat Jan 03 2026
Apple has revealed the winners of its annual App Store Awards. Pok�mon Trading Card Game Pocket took home the award for iPhone Game of the...
Polygon Sat Jan 03 2026
This month's new smartphone gaming apps include a new game from Supercell, a prequel to The Electric State, and murder mystery Expelled!
Metro.co.uk Sat May 03 2025
Dredge's long-awaited mobile release is so good, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was ported to consoles, not from them. Black Salt Games.
Forbes Mon Mar 03 2025
Dredge is a fishing game with horror elements. You are a lone fisherman out on isolated seas. As you explore, you'll encounter fish and phenomenon you just can...
Siliconera Mon Feb 03 2025
Dredge, the rather sinister fishing adventure from Black Salt Games, is coming to mobile and Mac.
Eurogamer Sun Nov 03 2024
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