There’s something inherently terrifying about the wide-open ocean. It’s the unknowable depth that stretches not just in front of you but beneath you—who knows what could be under there? That horror permeates Dredge, 2023’s Lovecraftian fishing game, which makes its blend of management sim, exploration, and occult narrative so compelling. If you’ve yet to test the waters of Dredge yourself, now is a great time to pick the game up, as Steam, Humble Bundle and GOG have big discounts to take advantage of.
While not responsible for the genre, H.P. Lovecraft’s body of cosmic horror writing was so prolific that his name has become synonymous with the genre. For Lovecraft, much of the horror of the unknowable evil in the universe was represented by the animalistic fear of the ocean, hence the foggy seaside fishing villages of New England constantly serving as the setting for his stories. That intrinsic link between fishing and cosmic horror is portrayed excellently in Dredge.
In Dredge you control a nameless and faceless fisherman who has washed up on the shore of a remote fishing village on an island. It is one of many islands in a vast ocean teaming with life. In order to make some money and contribute to your new base of operations, the mayor of the village tasks you with fishing in order to bring in some cash. The only warning he gives is to not go out at night. During the day, you’ll roam the safe waters to fish and salvage for items that can all help you turn a profit, though you only have so many daylight hours to get things done. Eventually, night arrives and you are presented with the choice to return to safety or explore what awaits you in the dark. The game doesn’t force you to venture into that uncomfortable unknown.
Of course, you will eventually find yourself out past curfew on the open ocean. It might take days for it to happen, but either you’ll finally let curiosity get the better of you or just find you’ve lost track of time and are suddenly plunged into the night. Then Dredge turns into full-blown horror. At night, everything weird that has been hinted at happening behind your back appears: Mutilated and deformed fish infected with some mysterious disease flood your fishing lines, large creatures chase after you without the safety of the daylight, and mysterious strangers task you with finding mysterious objects that grant you dangerous powers with a cost. Dredge becomes much more than just a game about fishing and making money.
Like so many cosmic horror stories that have clearly inspired Dredge, at the end of the day (or night) there is nothing you as the player can really do to combat these unknowable horrors. Dredge gives you no guns or any way to protect yourself from the monsters of the deep beyond a light to keep them at bay for a while. It’s a lesson in managing your curiosity and hubris. When you inevitably push your luck too far and die, it’s because you tried to get too close to the evils in the ocean despite everything warning you to stay away. This is why Dredge’s horror works so well: it thrives on letting you put yourself in scary situations.
Yet even while it’s a thrilling cosmic horror showcase, Dredge’s management-style gameplay loop of fishing and returning to port to make a profit and upgrade your boat remains endlessly compelling. Even if you aren’t tracking down the mysteries of the deep it’s never not fun to sit in a nice fishing spot and pull up the latest catch.
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