Entry by Kevin Ghouchandra
A. BASIC INFORMATION
Creator: Black Salt Games
- Nadia Thorne (Producer)
- Joel Mason (Programmer/Author)
- Alex Ritchie (Art Lead)
- Michael Bastiaens (3D Art/ Animation)
- David Mason (Composer/Audio Lead)
Studio website: https://www.blacksaltgames.com/
Creation technology: Unity
Publisher: Team17
Date of original release: March 30, 2023
Platforms: Windows; macOS; PlayStation 4/5; Nintendo Switch; Xbox One; Xbox Series X/S; iOS; Android
Peripherals required: Mouse/keyboard, game controller
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Awards/Distinctions:
- Bitsummit 2023: International Award
- DoesItPlay? Awards 2023: Best Indie Game, Best Horror Game
- IGN Awards 2023: Best Indie Game
- PC Gamer Awards 2023: Best Setting
- SDHQ 2024: Best Indie Game
- SXSW Sydney 2023: Game of the Year
Version used for entry: PlayStation 5 Version 1.4.0
B. GAME INFORMATION
Game/eLit Genre(s): Open world, exploration, role-playing, nautical/fishing, horror
Time to complete: Main Story: 9.5 hours; Completionist: 19 hrs (https://howlongtobeat.com/game/94128)
Replay required/useful?: No. All quests conclude in the same way (assuming the player succeeds) and both endings can be seen by saving before moving past the point of no return: the player can then reload and replay to experience the other endings (although the player has to have previously fulfilled the necessary requirements to access the ‘good’ ending).
Gameplay: The gameplay primarily consists of piloting and operating various components on the Fisherman’s boat. At dock, the Fisherman (the PC) has options to speak to townspeople, sell fish and other treasures, repair damage to the boat, buy new equipment for the boat, install or uninstall equipment, store items, and use parts or materials to research and construct better equipment for the boat. Different equipment will affect the brightness of the boat’s headlights, cargo hold capacity, the number of rods, nets, motors, and lights that can be installed, what kinds of fish can be caught, and whether the boat can use a trawl net that passively catches fish. In-game time only moves when the boat is moving, or the player is fishing or undertaking other activities.
On the water, players come across fishing spots, represented by areas of bubbling water. Each fishing spot will have a school of a type of fish. If the player has the right equipment to fish that type of fish, they can play a small minigame. There is a gauge that will slowly fill up showing how much the catch needs to be reeled in. It will fill automatically, but the player can speed up the time it takes to complete the catch by pressing various types of prompts that appear next to the gauge. Every time the player gets the green button prompt correct, the gauge will be partially filled, and every time the player messes up a prompt, the gauge will stall and be pushed back. If the player correctly presses the occasional yellow prompt, the resulting catch will be a trophy, which is larger and more valuable. When the gauge is full, the fish is caught and must be stored in the hold. Dredging works in a very similar way, except that all things that can be dredged only require the dredge crane and the minigame is always the same.
The boat’s hold consists of a grid, which can be expanded by upgrading the hull. Each item that can be placed has to fit not only the number of grid squares it takes up, but the shape as well. For example, a crab may be four squares in a 2×2 formation, an eel may be four squares in a 4×1 formation, and a fish may be five squares in a 2×3 formation and so on. The player must frequently rotate and discard items in order to make things fit, like a jigsaw puzzle. Seafood in the hold also has a freshness rating, and the longer it spends in the hold, the more that rating degrades, lowering its sell value. If it becomes rotten, it is worthless.
Fish can be normal, trophy, or aberrations, which will be listed as a separate offshoot species of that fish. Trophies will be identifiable by their yellow background and aberrations by a purple background.
In addition to fishing rods, crab pots can also be purchased. When throwing a crab pot, the depth level that it will sit in is displayed, and crabs that can be found at that depth will randomly be caught. After a couple of in-game days, the player can take crabs out of the pot. The pot also has a durability meter (displayed when checking it for crabs) that will diminish the longer it is in the water. If the durability is zero, no crabs will be caught: the player must pull the pot up and bring it to a pontoon or the dock at Greater Marrow to be fixed.
Pursuits (quests) can be obtained by speaking to various people with a green exclamation mark (“!”) next to the option to interact with them or through certain dialogue options. These pursuits will be listed on a corkboard in the menu. Most require obtaining and delivering particular fish or items, or speaking to certain people. Many of the rewards for completing pursuits are books which, when chosen from the menu, are passively read as in-game time passes. When a book is completed, a passive bonus will be permanently earned.
The sea is full of hostile creatures, many of which will charge at the boat and damage it, requiring careful maneuvering. Some can be warned off by turning the boat light on or off, or sounding the horn. The boat has a maximum amount of damage it can take before sinking, prompting a game over. Each time damage is taken, a random square in the cargo hold grid is made unusable (marked with a red x). If installed equipment is on the marked square it will be made unusable, and if any other object is on that square, it is lost overboard.
The player can acquire powers by completing the main quest and giving relics to the Collector. Haste will make the boat go faster; a small gauge in the bottom right corner of the screen will fill when Haste is being used, but, if it fills all the way, the boat will suffer damage. Manifest will teleport the player back to Blackstone Isle, where the Collector resides. Banish will produce a red glowing beacon over the ship, producing spherical waves of energy over the vicinity, getting rid of most enemies. Atrophy can be used on a fishing spot to instantly fish the entire school of fish, although they will have a reduced starting freshness rating and that fishing spot will require much more in-game time before respawning. Manifest, Banish, and Atrophy also incur a cooldown time after each use. Manifest and Atrophy will increase the panic of the Fisherman.
C. LITERARY INFORMATION
Related Literary Genre(s): Nautical Fiction/Sea Adventure, Horror/Cosmic Horror/Eldritch Horror/Lovecraftian Horror
Story/Plot Summary
A Fisherman crashes his boat on the jagged rocks surrounding Greater Marrow, an island he was traveling to in order to take up a job as an angler. He receives an old but working boat and a job from the Mayor, along with a warning not to sail at night.
The Fisherman begins his job by catching fish in order to pay for his boat, and exploring the nearby islands. The sense that things are not as they initially appear soon follows. The Lighthouse Keeper on Greater Marrow tells him to leave and seems to know something about his forgotten past, and townsfolk speak to the Fisherman as if he won’t be around long. The Fisherman also begins to find Aberrations–grotesque, mutated species of fish and strange hostile creatures lurking in the water, some only appearing out of the darkness of night. Light seems to deter the worst of them.
The Fishmonger on Greater Marrow finds a handkerchief in the stomach of one of the aberrated fish brought in by the Fisherman. Shortly after, a mysterious man called the Collector approaches you, and calls you to his home, Blackstone Isle, an island with one lonely, dusty manor, in the south of The Marrows. He identifies the handkerchief as a relic connected to an old ship he is interested in, and asks you to find the ship’s remaining lost items (‘relics’) scattered across the islands. He also attaches a dredge crane to the Fisherman’s boat, in order to pull the relics from the water. As the Fisherman locates and hands over the relics, the Collector whispers into a book with powers ‘from the deep’ (which the player later learns is the Book of the Deep) to gift the Fisherman with supernatural abilities (the ‘powers’ mentioned at the end of the previous section).
Behind Greater Marrow, the Fisherman dredges at the bottom of a glowing red pillar coming out of the water. He finds a key and gives it to the Collector.
At Gale Cliffs, the Fisherman meets two brothers, one living in the settlement of Ingfell and one living alone in the ruins of a town destroyed by a serpentine creature prowling the area. This brother, the Hermit, says he cannot return to Ingfell until he is able to return the Family Crest he stole from his brother, but that it was pulled under the water by the serpent when it destroyed the town. The Fisherman dredges the crest up and delivers it to the other brother, the Retired Whaler, who agrees to take in his brother if the Fisherman will help clear debris blocking the waterways with his homemade explosives. Afterwards, the Fisherman escorts the Hermit home to Ingfell and reunites the brothers. The Fisherman buys explosives from the Retired Whaler to clear some debris near the Hermit’s old home and, when investigating a red pillar of light, finds a music box.
In Stellar Basin, an Old Fortress houses a Researcher attempting to document and understand the life of the basin, including the aberrations and the giant monster living at its bottom, who attacks anything that comes near. She asks for the Fisherman’s help in collecting specimens of marine life living around the basin. After looking at some surface specimens, she asks the Fisherman to retrieve prototype equipment at the ruins of her old research outpost, which was destroyed by the creature.
She uses this equipment to create a device that can fish in the Abyssal zone and asks the Fisherman to retrieve more samples for her. The creature, however, remains a hazard, so she develops a repulsion device to emit a noise that will temporarily scare it away.The Fisherman connects it to the generator at the old research station and, in the center of the basin, dredges up a ring.
Twisted Strand is a maze of vines and narrow canals connecting numerous shards of land and sometimes appears to change location or attack the boat. Prowling the waterways are Mind Suckers, who will attack the Fisherman and cause Twisted Strand to seemingly act in even more strange ways. Within the Twisted Strand, the Fisherman finds an Airman who was stranded after his squadron crashed there. The group of survivors attempted to fight back against the elements and the creatures inhabiting the area, but only he remains now. He enlists the Fisherman’s help with re-assembling a mortar. They then bait, trap, and kill the Mind Suckers, the creatures most responsible for the death of the Airman’s comrades. After they are all dead, the Airman examines their corpses and inside finds one of the relics, a necklace. He decides to go on living in the Twisted Strand rather than leave his comrades.
In Devil’s Spine, a Fanatic lives alone in an ancient temple. When the Fisherman arrives, the Fanatic tells him that he (the Fisherman) is a fellow disciple of the deep, meant to replace him, and must perform a purification ritual. He tells the Fishermen that others have tried to perform the ritual and failed, and that he abandoned these failures across the isles, commenting that he ‘left them to their ceaseless hunger’ (it is inferred that the Hooded Figures one encounters are these ‘failures’). The Fanatic is in possession of a relic, a pocket watch, and will pass it onto The Fisherman after the ritual. The temple also contains carvings with warnings about the Unseeing Mother, a large blind fish with a powerful bite, and her scores of children who will call out to their mother and attempt to drag down the boat when they spot potential prey.
The Fisherman travels to three altars, offering up the sealife of the area, and collects three Fathomless Flames. He also finds the ruins of an ancient lighthouse, with murals depicting a bright light repelling the horrors of the sea, until a volcanic eruption destroys the lighthouse, leaving those nearby vulnerable. After delivering all three flames to the Temple, the Fanatic stands atop a pyre and is consumed by the fathomless flames. The Fisherman takes the last relic, the pocket watch, from the cold pyre.
The Fisherman may encounter many oddities throughout his journey. The Lighthouse Keeper of Greater Marrow and the Old Mayor of Greater Marrow appear to know the Fisherman and warn him against delving further into the powers of the Book of the Deep, or risk further destruction. The islands are dotted by mysterious black stone piles (obelisks) that, when he is at his most panicked from exposure to the horrors around him, show him visions of destruction and the various unnatural creatures that inhabit the islands and sea between. Hooded Figures who hunger for raw fish hearts will share knowledge in exchange for satiating them.
Fragments of documents depicting the finding of a casket containing the Book of the Deep by the crew of the boat Julie, primarily from the perspective of the captain’s new wife Julie, can be found. The Book of the Deep, according to the scraps of Julie’s diary, appears to drive her husband mad as increasingly strange things happen to them, and he becomes fixated on the deep, alienating her and his crew, who attempt to convince him to throw the Book back into the sea to no avail. Other documents related to a few items owned by the couple, the same ones as the relics being collected, can also be found.
The Fisherman returns to Blackstone Isle to meet the Collector. If he has spoken to the Old Mayor and Lighthouse Keeper, he may question the Collector about his motives and the Book of the Deep. If he presses hard enough and attempts to take the Book for himself, he will learn that the message fragments scattered around the islands tell not just any story, they tell his story. In the past, the Julie is attacked by one of the strange creatures, and the wife, Julie, is thrown overboard and killed. The husband is so distraught by this that he represses all his memories related to his wife, the Book, and the deep. With no memory of these events, he goes to take a job as an angler in Greater Marrow, and his repressed memories eventually manifest as the Collector, who attempts to direct the Fisherman to use the Book to resurrect his wife. The finding of the Book of the Deep was the catalyst for the aberrations and the eldritch creatures that now inhabit the islands. The Old Mayor was also aboard during these events, and was driven mad by them. The Fisherman takes back the Book of the Deep, and becomes one with the Collector again. He now has a choice to make.
If the Fisherman decides to go through with the ritual, he throws the relics into the sea at the spot where Julie was lost, and she is returned. But along with her is an enormous tentacled monstrosity that will bring ruin to those parts of the islands that have not been destroyed. The credits roll on Greater Marrow burning.
If he decides to finally follow Julie’s wishes, on the advice of the Old Mayor he consults the Lighthouse Keeper, who tells him to throw the Book back where it was found. Upon returning the Book to the deep, a leviathan rises to swallow the Fisherman and his boat. The world is at peace.
Suitability for Teaching
Dredge can be taught alongside works of horror, particularly cosmic horror, such as fiction by H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937), and those writers who directly or indirectly contributed to Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos: many works by Robert E. Howard (1906-1936); August Derleth’s (1909-1971) short story collections; Clark Ashton Smith’s (1893-1961) stories published by Arkham House; Laird Barron’s (b. 1970) “Mysterium Tremendum,”,The Imago Sequence and Other Stories, Occultation and Other Stories and other works; Thomas Ligotti’s (b. 1953) The Clown Puppet, The Last Feast of Harlequin, The Sect of the Idiot, The Red Tower, and Vasterien; Victor LaValle’s The Ballad of Black Tom (2016); John Hornor Jacobs’ The Sea Dreams it is the Sky (2018); Algernon Blackwood’s (1869-1951) The Centaur, “A Descent into Egypt,” and “Willows”; and Alan Moore’s comics series Necronomicon (2010) and Providence (2015-2017)
Dredge incorporates an important element of many cosmic horror narratives, forbidden or cursed knowledge. This is represented primarily by the Book of the Deep: it contains powerful spells, and using it to resurrect the Fisherman’s wife causes a large monster to rise as well, presumably destroying the world of Dredge. Players get hints of this through the other access point to forbidden knowledge, the black stone masses called obelisks: when the Fisherman is most panicked, or most exposed to the horrors of the world, players can touch them to get visions. Some are of different time periods, and some of possible sequences of events, including the destruction of the archipelago.
One departure from the cosmic horror genre is the affinity of Dredge’s world with the genre of magic realism. The horrors the player can encounter can start off feeling very mysterious and far away, but as the player is better equipped and more motivated to explore at night while dealing with the hazards, the various monsters can begin to feel much more commonplace, even monotonous. The larger monsters cannot be fought, only run away from, but their constant presence creates a different feeling from that of other cosmic horror narratives. A work that could pair well with this aspect of Dredge would be Annihilation (2014) by Jeff Vandermeer.
Dredge can also be seen as a narrative about redemption. The Fisherman, initially unbeknownst to him, starts out on a quest to redeem himself for his wife’s death by resurrecting her, and players can follow this course of action though to the end. Players can also, by listening to the people of the Marrows and it environs and recognizing the mistake of accessing forbidden knowledge, choose a different type of redemption by throwing the Book back into the sea, and accepting punishment by being swallowed by the leviathan. Many cosmic horror narratives depict characters incurring punishment or vying for redemption, and Dredge gives the player a choice in what they view as the Fisherman’s rightful path. Works that go well here would be Doctor Sleep (2013) by Stephen King, or John Langan’s The Fisherman (2016).
Dredge could also be taught alongside works that focus on the challenges faced by fishermen, such as Ernest Hemingway’s novella The Old Man and the Sea (1952) or Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes (1945), based on a section from The Borough, a poetical work by George Crabbe (1810). More broadly, Dredge could be taught alongside work that blends a nautical setting with elements of horror, such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (in Lyrical Ballads, 1798) and Richard Wagner’s opera Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) (1843).
D. Walkthrough
Required pursuits will be bolded and underlined; pursuits that are optional, but recommended for thematic or gameplay reasons, will be bolded. Interacting with the obelisks and finding messages are also optional but provide many interesting jumping off points for discussing the world and plot, so it is highly recommended the player locate them all. Consult this interactive map for locations of things if needed.
Tips
- Pay attention to the color of text. Most important is purple text, which indicates it is related to the relics. If you see a green exclamation mark (“!”) beside a character’s name, be sure to talk to them. It is usually pursuit related.
- Each kind of fish can only be caught with certain types of rods. If you are going to a new area, flip through the encyclopedia to determine what kinds of rods are most useful in that area. Even late-game you may not have enough space to equip all possible rod types, so make sure to plan out what you’ll be researching and swap out rods when needed.
- A fish’s condition will degrade over the time it sits in your hold or storage, and decrease in value as a result. If it sits too long it will become Rot and be worthless. You can circumvent this by putting fish into a trawl net at a dock, by placing the fish in storage then taking it out of storage, and by putting fish directly into the net, which will prevent their condition from degrading.
- Don’t underestimate crab pots and trawl nets! Leaving a couple of pots near the pontoon in the area you are currently focusing on (pay attention to the depth listed in the encyclopedia if you are looking for certain types of crabs) is a great way to make money without taking up precious cargo space or having to fish for yourself. You can often cover general repair costs and make a profit just with what you catch from these. Crabs are only required catches in one area of the game, but are needed for a number of optional pursuits. Similarly, trawl nets passively catch fish and provide some extra storage space if you can spare the rod slots. Like with rods, pay attention to the kind of fish that are in the area and swap out nets appropriately.
- The locations of most relics can be identified by glowing columns of red light seen at night.
- The Collector will give abilities in the same order (Haste, Manifest, Banish, Atrophy) no matter which relics are turned in, so even though areas can be explored in any order, it’s recommended to explore areas in the order the game intends (The Marrows, Gale Cliffs, Stellar Basin, Twisted Strand, Devil’s Spine), as you may not have researched the types of rods/nets needed for ‘later’ areas. ‘Sequence breaking’ can be beneficial to get access to certain items or types of fishing early, but knowledge of these strategies is needed in advance.
- Steel Point, in the north of the Marrows, has dredge points that respawn every time you load the game, so if looking for materials or research parts, it’s a good place to check and never too far once you have the Manifest power.
- Quest items and NPCs that are being escorted can be lost if damage is taken while they are in the cargo hold and will cause the quest to end without the reward.
- If you get the notification that something has ‘slithered’ on board, throw the infected fish away quickly: it will spread.
- Each of the Rock Slab rewards give a 2.5% bonus chance to find aberrations when it is installed in your boat (not just in your cargo), so consider using them if convenient, especially if you’re searching for an aberration. If you have some but not all of the fish required for a Rock Slab, you can leave what you have in the altar, they will remain without rotting.
Panic
If you are on the water at night, there will be an eye below the time of day wheel at the top of the screen. This is the panic meter. It is raised by being in the dark, using Manifest or Atrophy, or being attacked by certain creatures. Raised panic is indicated by the eye opening, then flashing red and moving more erratically as it increases; they eye’s lid will lower and closed when the Fisherman is not panicked. Having stronger headlights will decrease the rate at which the panic meter increases. Resting at a dock for a couple of hours is the fastest way to eliminate panic.
Panic will increase the number and types of hostile enemies and obstacles that appear in the world. In order to avoid being damaged by these, movement options like upgraded engines and Haste are needed, so heed the Mayor’s advice and limit the time spent out at night early on, especially until you have better motors. When you have become accustomed to dealing with the hazards of panic, it can be a useful tool. If the Fisherman is panicked, at night sometimes fishing spots will glow, indicating that an aberration can always be caught there. Throughout the world, large black piles of stones called obelisks can be found, and if panic is at its maximum, they will glow red and project a pillar of red light into the night sky. When touched in this state, the Fisherman can see mysterious visions of destruction.
Upgrades
Boat upgrades can be done once you have the dredge crane. Take materials you dredge up to the dry dock on Greater Marrow or any pontoon and spend them to expand the capacity of your boat to install equipment. For example, at the start of the game you have 4 motor spaces, meaning you can install 2 motors of 2 spaces or one motor of three/four spaces. With upgrades you can install additional or more powerful equipment of that type. While you should aim for all types of upgrades, motors and rods are useful first ones to aim for, and lights will help more when you begin to explore at night.
The Marrows
Pursuits to complete: A Fresh Start, Package Delivery, Grotesque Fish, Lost at Sea (requires dredge crane), A Place to Rest (requires dredge crane), Caught to Order
Pursuits to progress: The Collector
Required Fish: One of any aberration (Grotesque Fish); 1 Flounder, 1 Eel, 2 Squid, 1 Black Grouper, 1 Common Crab, 1 Fiddler Crab, then any aberrated Fish (Caught to Order)
Required Items: Belt Buckle (Lost at Sea); 2 Lumber and 2 Metal Scrap (A Place to Rest)
Rock Slab: Located at J9, north of Greater Marrow. Requires 5 Cod. The Sinew Spindle is only 2 squares in size and covers the two most common rod types early on, so it is an excellent item to have
Obelisk Locations: I8, on Greater Marrow; K7, on Blackstone Isle; M10 behind Steel Point
Message Locations: K9, northeast of Greater Marrow, by a small island; K7, just south of Little Marrow; L5, search the wrecked boat on the island
Pay your starting debt off by fishing around The Marrows to be able to upgrade your boat. Rod and motor space are recommended first upgrades. Get acclimated to steering and fishing during this time. If you sell all your fishing rods, visiting the Greater Marrow Dry Dock will get you a free basic fishing pole to sell again. This can be repeated for some easy early money.
Make sure an aberration is given to the Fishmonger on Greater Marrow to get the handkerchief and start the main pursuit with the Collector, as without the dredge crane many items will be missed. Check back with the Fishmonger to find that he was made sick by the aberrant fish, and has forgotten about the incident. Right after getting the Collector pursuit, the key can be found at the red pillar of light behind Greater Marrow and turned in to get Haste, arguably the most useful ability, especially for dodging attacks. While not tied to a pursuit, it is possible to meet the Lighthouse Keeper on Greater Marrow after a couple of days, which will hint at the greater events going on and start the path towards the ‘good’ ending. It is recommended to do all of this before leaving The Marrows.
Most of the pursuits in the Marrows are found by visiting Greater Marrow/Little Marrow over a few days and speaking to everyone. You can also receive a few books here by repeatedly talking to people around The Marrows like the Fishmonger, Trader and Shipwright. The Fishmonger will give the Caught to Order pursuit, which can be entirely completed with fish in The Marrows and is needed to unlock crab pots.
Once Package Delivery is completed, check back with the Dockworker on Little Marrow after some time to find he has become sick after receiving the package. Any trinkets found should be sold to the Trader in Little Marrow, except a belt buckle for Lost at Sea and any dog tags you find.
It is recommended that the obelisks be left for later as having maximum panic this early on can be dangerous. Make sure to pay attention to how damaged your ship is and get repairs whenever you dock.
Gale Cliffs
Pursuits to complete: Castaway; Hermitage; Best Before; Figure in Blue
Pursuits to progress: The Collector; Recording Rarities
Required Fish: Oarfish (Recording Rarities); Blue Mackerel, Tiger Mackerel, Snake Mackerel (Figure in Blue)
Required Items: Family Crest (Hermitage); Packed Explosives
Rock Slab: P3, South-East area of Gale Cliffs: Requires 1 Decorator Crab and 2 Rock Crabs. The Mouth of the Deep crab pot is the reward, easily the best crab pot
Obelisk Locations: P2; M3
Message Locations: N4, in between the Dusty Pontoon and Ingfell; N3 in between the small southernmost cliff on the map and the cliff to the left of it.
In the bay of Gale Cliffs, at night you’ll be able to see a column of red light behind some rocks next to the ruins, the location of the relic you need to collect. The nearby pontoon and town of Ingfell will have all services needed except selling trinkets. The main pursuit for this area is found in the ruins near the large stone archway into the cliffs proper with the Hermit and will unlock the ability to use explosives, which will allow you to collect the music box. The Family Crest can be dredged in the open water in O3, in front of the waterfall.
When leaving the bay and exploring the cliffs, you may encounter the Serpent. It will follow you, attempting to damage you, and can be avoided with careful maneuvering if you have upgraded motors, the Haste ability, or by leaving the cliffs, as it will not follow you far into the bay or open ocean.
The Castaway can be found on an island in L11 and requests to be taken to Little Marrow, though you have a limited time to do so once picking him up, or he will starve. The Recording Rarities pursuit can be started at the pontoon, and the exotic fish of this area, the Oarfish, can be found in a cave behind the waterfall near the middle of the cliffs, if you have gotten abyssal fishing from Stellar Basin.
The Figure in Blue can be found on the north end of the island on M7. They require 3 Mackerel, which are all coastal fish, in order. The blue mackerel is found in The Marrows, the tiger mackerel in Gale Cliffs, and the snake mackerel in Devil’s Spine.
If you have the Pale Reach DLC and have not done it, now is a good time, as the reward for the main pursuit, the radiant trawl net, is excellent.
Stellar Basin
Pursuits to complete: Research Assistant; Lost Dog; Figure in Gold
Pursuits to progress: The Collector; Recording Rarities
Required Fish: One of each: a Glowing Octopus, Firefly Squid, Aurora Jellyfish, Anglerfish, Stoplight Loosejaw, Giant Amphipod, Snailfish (Research Assistant); Gulper Eel (Recording Rarities); Red Snapper, Fangtooth, Blue Crab (Figure in Gold)
Required Items: Packed Explosives (for unreachable areas)
Obelisk Locations: E5; F2
Rock Slab: H2, South-east area of Stellar Basin. Requires the Hammerhead Shark (Stellar Basin), Bronze Whaler (Marrows), Blacktip Reef Shark (Marrows), and Ghost Shark (Devil’s spine). All require oceanic fishing except the Ghost Shark, which is abyssal. The viscera crane is one of 3 rods in the base-game that can perform Hadal fishing, and is a strict upgrade to the Bottomless line, but the Fathomless winch which can be researched is a more convenient shape overall and additionally does oceanic fishing. Useful mostly if you want the shape or the additional chance to fish aberrations
Message Locations: G4, just north of the ruined Research Outpost; E5, a little east of the Old Fortress
Stellar Basin is unique in that there are only two hazards to watch out for, exploding Jelly Bombs, glowing jellies just floating aimlessly in the water, which are easy to avoid as long as you pay attention, and the creature living in the basin, which will attack you for getting too close. Banish will not work on the creature.
To collect the relic of this area, go to the Old Fortress on the north end of the west island, complete Research Assistant, then fish (Hadal) directly above the trench where the creature is. To get access to Hadal fishing, either complete the Rock Slab in Stellar Basin, or after getting the sampling device, spend one research part for the Bottomless Line. You’ll have to turn in one of most of the fish in this area, so keep that in mind as soon as you arrive. Trawl nets, if you have unlocked them, will be very useful here for catching and storing the fish you need. If you have the Pale Reach DLC, the radiant trawl net is the best, otherwise the large or heavy duty nets will be most helpful.
The Figure in Gold can be found in K2, on the concave curve of the island. Both the red snapper then fangtooth can be found with coastal fishing in Stellar Basin, and the Blue Crab can also be found in Stellar Basin with a crab pot. Make sure you place your pot at a depth between zero and five metres.
The pursuit Lost Dog can be found in the south-east corner of the south island, you’ll be able to hear a dog barking. Get the dog to come with you by calling it, then feeding it fish out of your hand, then petting it. When you try to leave it’ll come with you into your cargo hold (4 spaces in a square shape). The Lost Dog can be given to the Researcher at the Old Fortress to complete the pursuit.
For the Recording Rarities fish of this area, the Gulper Eel, make sure you can do Hadal fishing, and fish in the north-east area surrounding the trench of Stellar Basin. It doesn’t have an exact spawn point, so you’ll need a bit of luck. The telescope will help considerably if you know the shape of the eel, and it helps to have completed Research Assistant first to make it easier to fish in that area without the creature.
Twisted Strand
Pursuits to complete: The Bitter End; Figure in Purple
Pursuits to progress: The Collector; Recording Rarities
Required Fish: 1 Catfish, 1 Gar, 3 Grey Mullet, 2 Longfin Eel (The Bitter End); Goliath Tigerfish (Recording Rarities); Tarpon, Horseshoe Crab, Barreleye (Figure in Purple)
Required Items: Mortar Frame, Mortar Barrel, 3 Chunk of Flesh (The Bitter End); Packed Explosives (for unreachable areas)
Rock Slab: D13, requires one of any aberration. The reward is the tendon rod. This is accessible as soon as you can catch aberrations, and does not cost any research parts or money. It provides fast, easy access to mangrove and oceanic fishing, and has the aberration bonus which are all very nice to have. It is possible to come here right at the start of the game with any aberration and get very early access to oceanic fishing, which can be a big advantage. It lacks the ability to catch coastal fish which will be required for this area and can be an awkward shape, but it can be useful based on what rods and upgrades you have
Obelisk Locations: F12; E14
Message Locations: F13, at the northeast corner of that map square, just south of the very tiny island; F13, when leaving the Airman’s camp, turn right as you leave the waterway and the message is in the curved path between the islands before reaching the more open water in E13
This area requires mangrove type fishing. The Rock Slab reward, the tendon rod, is the fastest and cheapest way to get access to mangrove fishing, but either the anti-tangle line or the more long-term useful versatile rod can catch all the fish you need for the relic pursuit alone. The silt-filtering trawl net will also help with mangrove fishing; however, the large trawl net is useful as it can catch all the non-mangrove fish in the area.
The main hazards of this area are the Mindsuckers, which will damage you and increase panic while doing so. It’s best to avoid or banish them. Having high panic in this area will also cause the vines to block and attack you, so proceed with caution.
The relic pursuit The Bitter End can be found in an inlet in the northeast corner of E13, and will require you to dredge some mortar parts for the Airman, then catch many of the nearby fish to make bait and trap the mindsuckers. You can also hand him any dog tags you have found to get valuable research parts instead of selling them. Make sure once you kill a Mindsucker, you go to the trap and collect the Chunk of Flesh as proof for the Airman. Completing this will unlock the Airman making bait for you for free or purchasing up to two per day from the Travelling Merchant. With the Airman, one bait will be made for every one fish you give (up to 12). So using easier and smaller fish will net you the most bait for the least time and effort. Bait will cause temporary fishing points to spawn around you and is an excellent way to farm or find fish quickly. They can be of any fish findable in that area, but are likelier to be the same kinds of fish as equipment you have installed, so keep that in mind when you use it. The telescope can help parse what fish have spawned.
The Figure in Purple can be found near the border of E9 and E10, on the east coast of the island. The tarpon is a shallow fish in Twisted Strand, the horseshoe crab can be found with a crab pot (zero to ten metres) in Twisted Strand, and the Barreleye is found with Abyssal fishing in Stellar Basin.
The Recording Rarities fish in this area, the Goliath Tigerfish, can be found in an inlet in the south part of E12. A Packed Explosive is required to access it.
Once you have turned in 4 relics, return to Greater Marrow and speak to the Lighthouse Keeper once again for the path to the ‘good’ ending. If you have not met the Old Mayor yet, check the various campsites where he may spawn.
Devil’s Spine
Pursuits to complete: Flames of the Deep; Craven Courier; Stone Tablets; Figure in Red
Pursuits to progress: The Collector; Recording Rarities
Required Fish: Coelacanth (Recording Rarities); Cusk Eel, Sailfish, Frilled Shark (Figure in Red)
Required Items: Fathomless Flame x3 (Flames of the Deep); Stone Tablet x3, Fused Tablet, Explosives x1 (Stone Tablets)
Rock Slab: See Flames of the Deep section, below
Obelisk Locations: N15; P14
Message Locations: P12, northwest corner of the map square, near some pillars; N14, near the middle of the south border of the map square; P10, search the campsite only after taking the Book of the Deep from the Collector, if you do so.
Devil’s Spine has only one new enemy to worry about, the Unseeing Mother. While the Mother cannot track you herself, if you are seen by any of her children patrolling the area, they will call her to you. When spotted, the children will swim under your boat and slow you down, making it easier for the Mother to catch you. If she does, she will do a lot of damage. She will usually be wandering the northeastern section of Devil’s Spine with a couple children around her, so be particularly careful there. The easiest way to shake off the children is to move over one of the thermal vents in the area, but as soon as you leave, they may be on you again. Banish will not work on the Mother, only the children.
The last relic quest, Flames of the Deep, can be started by going to the Ancient Temple on the southwesternmost island, N13. The dialogue choices do not matter. You must travel to the three rock slabs and bring a Fathomless Flame back from each. These work like the other rock slabs:
- P13, northwest side of the lower island. Requires 1 Squat Lobster and one Spider Crab;
- P14, northeast side of the big island. Requires a Ghost Shark and a Pale Skate;
- O14, the south side of the larger island in the north. Requires any 2 aberrations.
One of the Rock Slabs will give the slab reward, the Encrusted Talisman. It does not give access to any type of fishing, but does greatly increase your fishing speed and give the aberration bonus of Rock Slab equipment. If you have upgraded your rod space, it can be an asset. Return to the Ancient Temple, place the three flames into the statues, then watch the ritual and receive the pocket watch. It is important to note that players should consult the section on endings above before giving the final relic to the Collector.
Craven Courrier can be found on the north part of I10. Deliver the package to Little Marrow (Manifest can make this go faster).
The pursuit Stone Tablets rewards you with the single strongest light in the game–while not necessary, it can be very helpful. First dredge up the three tablets in Devil’s Spine:
- Q13, south area, in a rectangular space of ruins;
- P13, south west of the center, the inside corner of some ruins;
- N14, northwest corner, use an explosives to access the closed off area.
Then head to Little Marrow and show them to the Trader. He will use them to create the Fused Tablet. Take this to the island in the southwest of O15. Open the lighthouse to claim the Flame of the Sky. If you have fully upgraded your light spaces, combine with 2 Cloudy Lens for the highest possible amount of lumens.
The Figure in Red can be found on L14, nestled in the island cluster. The Cusk Eel requires volcanic fishing at night in Devil’s Spine, the Sailfish requires oceanic fishing in The Marrows, and the Frilled Shark also requires volcanic fishing in Devil’s Spine.
The last Recording Rarities fish, the Coelacanth, can be found behind some bombable debris in the easternmost area of Devil’s Spine, in Q12.
Endings
Handing the final relic to the Collector is the point of no return, so be sure to save beforehand, especially if you want to experience multiple endings. The game will give you a warning before you are fully locked in.
The ‘Bad’ Ending
Deliver the final relic. You may or may not question the Collector, but no matter what, agree to do what he asks. Go to the spot he indicates and perform the ritual.
The ‘Good’ Ending
Make sure you have spoken to the Lighthouse Keeper of Greater Marrow a couple of times. Before handing in the final relic, search for the Old Mayor of Greater Marrow, who you may have heard mentioned by others, particularly the Lighthouse Keeper. He can be found randomly at any of the 4 abandoned camps, located on islands on F15, J3, O2, and P10 and will change locations periodically. He will tell you more about the Book of the Deep.
Now deliver the final relic. Do not agree to perform the ritual, instead question the Collector and then try to take the book from him until it is in your possession. Go to Greater Marrow and speak to the Lighthouse Keeper. Go to the spot she points to and ‘Throw it back’.
E. Sources and Resources
- Wikipedia Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dredge_(video_game)
- Metacritic Critic Reviews: https://www.metacritic.com/game/dredge/critic-reviews/?platform=pc
- No Commentary Walkthrough by Chocoholie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTK19xvsj9A
- TheTrueBT. “How to Counter/Defeat Every Monster in Dredge.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt_Ww-RLNck (Note: it is highly recommended that you experience each enemy for yourself before consulting this)
Screenshots taken from: Sleepy Longplays, “Dredge: Ultimate Fishing Adventure.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV7drtnGKIA
Stories in Play 