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.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key synergies |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Greater Marrow
Key resources: Tutorial, basic upgrades, first relic, safe fishing grounds Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Net upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Gale Cliffs
Key resources: Gale Cliffs relic, wind-exclusive fish, boat upgrade materials Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Net upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Stellar Basin
Key resources: Stellar Basin relic, volcanic fish, aberrant varieties Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Net upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Twisted Strand
Key resources: Twisted Strand relic, swamp fish, horror story revelations Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Rod max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Devil's Spine
Key resources: Final relic, story conclusion, rarest fish species, deepest catches Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Rod max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Greater Marrow — Gale Cliffs)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials — you'll need them later
- Focus on Net once accessible
Mid Game (Stellar Basin)
- Push Net to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Rod
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Twisted Strand — Devil's Spine)
- Max out Rod — this is your top priority
- Complete your build's core gear set
- Craft endgame consumables
- Optional: upgrade secondary equipment for variety
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment — Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials — Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear — Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring Stellar Basin farming — This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early — Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Sell aberrant fish to the Travelling Merchant (appears periodically at docks) for bonus money — the regular Fishmonger pays less for mutated catches.
- Farm Stellar Basin during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build — some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Dredge Guides
- Dredge Dredge Overview
- Dredge Best Builds
- Dredge Tier List
- Dredge Walkthrough
- Dredge Beginner's Guide
- Dredge Tips & Tricks
- Dredge Weapons Guide
- Dredge Combat Guide
- Dredge Boss Guide
- Dredge Maps & Locations
- Dredge Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Dredge, check out these related guides:
- Red Dead Redemption 2 Crafting Guide — adventure game with similar mechanics
- Sea of Thieves Crafting Guide — adventure game with similar mechanics
- Dave the Diver Crafting Guide — adventure game with similar mechanics
