Dredge is one of the best winter games
Slower gaming months like December and January are the best times to revisit old games. Likewise, winter is also the perfect time to clear the backlog, as factors such as the weather keep people home and taking time off for the holidays. This year, one of my winter games is making a comeback dredging to catch up on the DLC I’ve been missing and I find it to be one of the best games to play during this time of year.
As a quick refresher, dredging is a fishing game with horror elements. You are a lone fisherman on an isolated sea. As you explore, you will encounter fish and phenomena that you cannot explain. This increases if you dare to go to the beach at night. Its all about atmosphere and quite engrossing, even when you turn off the threats to make it a slightly more relaxing experience.
Part of dredging playing great during the winter months has something to do with the overall nature of the game. It was a very isolating adventure. You are in a place that is usually quiet. You fish and search the sea. With December and January’s level of formality, it’s pleasant to soak up the atmosphere while getting dressed and snuggling in warm rooms. Especially if you’re in an area that has recently experienced major snowstorms or freezing rain. All you want to do is hunker down and stand still, and it does just that.
There is also the fact that dredging there’s what really looks like part of the winter DLC. The first add-on, called The Pale Reach, will take you to the North Pole. That means breaking through the ice and investigating a new mystery. Additionally, there are new fish species and better ways to preserve the fish you’ve already caught. I just started that story over the holidays in December, and it really felt very fitting given how bleak and cold things were outside.
Speaking of which, I honestly feel like the slow months like December and January are when I can catch up dredging and its DLC. I didn’t get to see The Iron Rig when it released in August 2024. With the way both it and The Pale Reach were handled, it almost felt like there were three full “games,” instead of one experience with Additional adventures. Yes, the new mechanics, abilities, and fish are great for the main game, but returning to the beginning after a long time feels like returning to a sequel due to the time and effort put into those games. This. Especially with The Iron Rig’s Ironhaven Corporation and the work we can do to build their influence at sea and see where that supernatural story leads.
With the cold and loneliness of the winter months, I can’t help but feel like dredging is an ideal game to return to. (Or playing for the first time.) Especially given the themes behind one of its DLCs and the fact that both add-ons are significant enough to feel like additional adventures certainly in their own right. It’s one of those titles that never stops feeling relevant to certain situations.
dredging is available for Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC and it is in development for mobile devices.
