Dredge is a fishing adventure game with Lovecraftian horror lurking beneath the surface. By day, you fish, sell your catch, and upgrade your boat in a picturesque island archipelago. By night, the fog rolls in, your sanity drops, and eldritch creatures appear. The fishing gameplay uses satisfying minigames for each rod type, and the inventory management (tetris-style fish arrangement) is engaging. Five distinct regions each contain a relic tied to the main mystery, and aberrant fish (mutated versions of normal catches) hint at the cosmic horror beneath the waves. The atmosphere is masterful — dread builds gradually through subtle visual and audio cues.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness — factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Boat | S | Move fast between fishing spots, complete multiple catches per day, and always return to port before midnight. | Best engine available, lights for night visibility, basic rods |
| Fishing Vessel | A | Equip all rod types to catch everything available. Focus on completing fish encyclopedia entries and fulfilling NPC requests. | All 4 rod types, medium engine, expanded cargo |
| Cargo Hauler | A | Fill the entire cargo hold before returning to sell. One efficient trip replaces three small trips. | Maximum cargo upgrades, efficient rods, good engine |
| Night Fisher | B | Fish during night hours for rare catches, manage sanity carefully, and use lights to keep eldritch horrors at bay. | Maximum lights, fast engine (emergency escape), all rod types |
| Explorer | A | Systematically explore each region, find hidden islands and underwater features, and collect all relics for the story. | Fast engine, good lights, compass, all rod types |
S-Tier: Speed Boat
Prioritize engine upgrades for maximum travel speed. Speed keeps you safe at night and covers more fishing ground during daytime. The fastest engine lets you cross entire regions before sundown.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Rod | The basic fishing tool for catching coastal and near-shore fish. |
| Core Gear | Best engine available, lights for night visibility, basic rods | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Engine speed, light range, fuel efficiency | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | fishing | Different fishing equipment catches different fish: rods for coastal fish, nets for open water, pots for crustaceans, and trawls for deep-sea catches. |
How to Play Speed Boat
Move fast between fishing spots, complete multiple catches per day, and always return to port before midnight.
Prioritize engine upgrades for maximum travel speed. Speed keeps you safe at night and covers more fishing ground during daytime. The fastest engine lets you cross entire regions before sundown.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Rod and fishing creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Best engine available, lights for night visibility, basic rods amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Engine speed, light range, fuel efficiency) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Fishing Vessel
Balanced build with all four rod types installed for maximum fish variety. Each region has fish requiring specific equipment. The Fishing Vessel covers all bases without specializing.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Net | Catches fish in open water while your boat is moving. |
| Core Gear | All 4 rod types, medium engine, expanded cargo | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Rod variety, cargo space, moderate speed | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | boat upgrades | The boat has slots for: engine, hull, rods (4 types), lights, and cargo space. |
How to Play Fishing Vessel
Equip all rod types to catch everything available. Focus on completing fish encyclopedia entries and fulfilling NPC requests.
Balanced build with all four rod types installed for maximum fish variety. Each region has fish requiring specific equipment. The Fishing Vessel covers all bases without specializing.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Net and boat upgrades creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like All 4 rod types, medium engine, expanded cargo amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Rod variety, cargo space, moderate speed) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Cargo Hauler
Maximum cargo hold upgrades for transporting large quantities of fish per trip. More fish per trip means more income per journey, reducing travel time spent on returns. Best for resource grinding.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Pot | Crab and lobster pots placed at specific underwater locations. |
| Core Gear | Maximum cargo upgrades, efficient rods, good engine | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Cargo space, fishing speed, engine speed | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | eldritch encounters | At night, sanity drops and eldritch phenomena appear: phantom rocks, ghost ships, tentacles, and aberrant creatures. |
How to Play Cargo Hauler
Fill the entire cargo hold before returning to sell. One efficient trip replaces three small trips.
Maximum cargo hold upgrades for transporting large quantities of fish per trip. More fish per trip means more income per journey, reducing travel time spent on returns. Best for resource grinding.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Pot and eldritch encounters creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Maximum cargo upgrades, efficient rods, good engine amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Cargo space, fishing speed, engine speed) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
B-Tier: Night Fisher
Light upgrades and sanity management for extended night fishing. Some rare fish and aberrant variants only appear at night. Night Fishing is riskier but more profitable due to rarer catches.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Trawl | Deep-water fishing equipment for rare species found only in deep ocean areas. |
| Core Gear | Maximum lights, fast engine (emergency escape), all rod types | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Light range, engine speed, sanity management | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | time management | Time passes as you fish, travel, and complete tasks. |
How to Play Night Fisher
Fish during night hours for rare catches, manage sanity carefully, and use lights to keep eldritch horrors at bay.
Light upgrades and sanity management for extended night fishing. Some rare fish and aberrant variants only appear at night. Night Fishing is riskier but more profitable due to rarer catches.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Trawl and time management creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Maximum lights, fast engine (emergency escape), all rod types amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Light range, engine speed, sanity management) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Explorer
Engine and light focus for exploring every corner of the map. The Explorer seeks out hidden locations, aberrant fish, and story relics. Exploration uncovers the full story and most valuable catches.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Dredge Equipment | Specialized equipment for pulling items from the ocean floor. |
| Core Gear | Fast engine, good lights, compass, all rod types | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Engine speed, light range, exploration coverage | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | inventory tetris | Your cargo hold uses a grid where fish occupy different shapes (1x1, 1x2, 2x2, L-shaped for aberrant fish). |
How to Play Explorer
Systematically explore each region, find hidden islands and underwater features, and collect all relics for the story.
Engine and light focus for exploring every corner of the map. The Explorer seeks out hidden locations, aberrant fish, and story relics. Exploration uncovers the full story and most valuable catches.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Dredge Equipment and inventory tetris creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Fast engine, good lights, compass, all rod types amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Engine speed, light range, exploration coverage) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Fishing Vessel — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Speed Boat once you understand core mechanics and have access to Rod
- Keep a Cargo Hauler setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Explorer for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Sell aberrant fish to the Travelling Merchant (appears periodically at docks) for bonus money — the regular Fishmonger pays less for mutated catches.
- Upgrade your engine before anything else. Speed determines how much you can accomplish each day and how quickly you escape night dangers.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
See our tier list for current meta rankings, or the beginner's guide if you're just getting started.
