Howard Phillips Lovecraft is, to many, the greatest master of horror to have ever lived. It's important to note he also had terribly regressive views for most of his life. Still, I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt based on the correspondence from his later years that seems to indicate he eventually did away with most, if not all, of his ideas that were horrific ?in a not cool way.

Lovecraft's lengthy body of work continues to terrify people of our time as much as it did his contemporaries, and ha?s successfully crossed over to the world? of cinema and even video games. There are many excellent video games which have been inspired by the works of H.P Lovecraft, some whose inspiration you might not even be aware of, so let's look at the best of them.

10. Call of Cthulhu

Though you should know that it only has that name because it's based on the Cthulhu mythos, and not because it's a direct adaptation of The Call Of Cthulhu, this is a pretty decent?? adaptation of that world.

The team at Cyanide put a lot of effort into creating an original story and a vast and detailed semi-open world that beautifully brings Lovecraft's nightmarish vision to life. If that's what you care about the most when ??you to pick a game, you should totally get this one. Sadly, it also features RPG and stealth elements that detract more from the experience than they help immerse you in the game.

9. Conarium

Don't let its peculiar name illude you, Conarium is a direct adaptation of At The Mountains Of Madness, one of H.P. Lovecraft's most famous works.

This time, players are invited to a creepy location in the Antarctic where they will have to do the detective work that you should always expect from a direct adaptation of a Lovecraft tale, but also a bunch of puzzles. Conarium features great environments and streamlined game??pla?y that lets players enjoy the unraveling of its plot.

On top of doing a great job of emulating Lovecraft, it gets bonus points for also resembling John Carpenter's The Thing, which also took a lot of inspiration from At The Mountains Of Madness.

8. The Sinking City

In the shadow of the legal battle between its studio and publisher lies a game that deserved quite a bit more love than it ended up ge??tting.

The Sinking City wears its Lovecraftian inspirati?on on its sleeves, and also plays just like you'd expect a Lovecraft-inspired game to play. It's a mystery game where you play as a detective on a strange city who'll have to dig as deep as he can to unveil secrets that he may or may not be prepared to deal with. This is a great option if you're looking for something that's Lovecraftian through and through.

7. Sunless Sea

If Lovecraftian stories set on land can terrorize you, then I ask you try to imagine what they can do when they take place on a dark sea. That's Sunless Sea for you, a game where players get to explore and traverse a sea full of Lovecraftian misfortunes waiting to happen. I'm usually not a f??an of roguelikes. They can dilute authorial intent, which can ?be a problem when you're trying to tell a story based on a very unique author, but those elements work well here.

The random elements ensure that no two adventures are the same, and that only helps to make Sunless Sea even more effective in its delivery of myster??y an?d horror.

6. Dredge

Like Sunless Sea, Dredge invites players to set sail on a Lovecraft-infested sea. Unlike Sunless Sea, however, it hides its true form under the guise of a fishing game to tell a very focused? tale of Lovecraftian horror.

Dredge is fun when it wants to be, makes fishing and getting upgrades to your boat surprisingly addictive, and also tells a unique story that's sure to intrigue players. If you do things well, or not well, depending on your perspective, Dredge wi??ll culminate with one of the scariest encounters with a Lovecraftian entity I've ever seen in a game.

5. Call of the Sea

While a few Lovecraftian games camouflage their inspiration, they never hide the fact that they're horror games. Call Of The Sea, howev??er, invites players to one of the most b?eautiful tropical islands I've ever seen in a game. It's the kind of place where you'd like to spend some time just for the sake of it, but it's all but a clever ruse.

While beautiful in its surface, Call Of The Sea is cl??early inspired by Lovecraft, and?? thus an adventure game whose horrors you should not underestimate.

4. Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth

Once again, despite having "Call Of Cthulhu" in its name, this is not an adaptation of that specific work. Dark Corners Of The Earth is an adaptation of The Shadow Over Innsmouth, a story where a man walks into a town where everyone has an inexplicable fish-like appearance. It came out back in '05, a simpler time when we cared less about detective work, and more about just shooting stuff up, and it worked. Dark Corners Of The Earth was not a full-on action shooter. It managed to strike a good balance between that and a more grounded myst?ery tale. It still looks great, even though it originally came out for the OG Xbox.

Like Lovecraft himself, Dark Corners Of The Earth ended up finding little success during its (shelf) ?l??ife. That's a shame because despite its age, I believe it remains the best direct video game adaptation of any work by Lovecraft.

3. Returnal

Despite its very original and very un-Lovecraftian setting of a futuristic outer space, Returnal is very Lovecraftian where it counts. I do??n't want to spoil its marvelously horrific story beats, but anyone who's played it knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Fantastic story and presentation aside, Returnal is one of ?the best PS5 games of all time. It's fluidity and top-notch gameplay makes it arguably the deepest and overall best bullet hell game ever made. If you own a PS5 and are looking for a game that's both unique and a AAA masterpiece, this is the one to get.

2. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

Ever wanted a game that enriched Resident Evil's formula with the most ingenious jumpscares ever seen in gaming, and did away with the cheesy story? Eternal Darkness is that and so much more.

Eternal Darkness invites players to embody not one hero, but a whole lineage of them throughout various different points in time. Think the overall plot of all Assassin's Creed games in one game, but instead of the temp??lars, you're trying to kill a god.

Get ready to try to st?op a deity heavily inspired by the works of Lovecraft as it tries to foil both the character and the player's attempts by exploiting their sanity. Expect great aesthetics, a great story, and some of the nastiest trickery you've ever seen in a game.

1. Bloodborne

Bloodborne isn't directly based on?? any story by Lovecraft, nor does it feature any of his classic monsters, but Lovecraft's themes of cosmic horror will become impossible to ignore once you venture past a pivotal part in the campaign.

Bloodborne seemingly does away with the detective mechanics you'd expect in a Lovecraftian game to replace them with hacking and slashing, but that's not true. We're as much of a detective in Bloodborne as we are in any other game by FromSoftware, a company known for enticing players to put together the pieces to understand the world they've been thrown in. That is a perfect fit here. Also, it helps that Bloodborne has the best plot out o??f all Lovecraftian games -? you'll likely agree with me once you've put all of those pieces together.

It's even almost unfair to describe Bloodborne as Lovecraftian because FromSoft pumped so much new stuff into it that it pretty much ?transcends mere "Lovecraftianism". Still, the inspiration is there, and Miyazaki and co. are not ashamed to adm??it it.

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Now that you've collected a few samples for the Scientist from some of the early game biomes in Dredge: The Iron Rig, it's time to head to the strangest one: S?tellar Basin. Here, you're tasked with fishing up the deepest samples the DLC asks for.

Picking up samples for the Scientist in Dredge's The Iron Rig DLC has been pretty simple while working through the game's first two biomes, but this is where it gets tricky Stellar Basin is a dangerous area to explore without there being large puddles of contaminant that host creatures that can smash your boat if you're not careful. That's why, when the Scientist asks ??you to go there and collect some samples for him, you need to be prepared with the right gear and all the ideas.

How to get all the samples from Stellar Basin for the Scientist in Dredge: The Iron Rig

Before heading out to get all the samples for the Scientist from Stellar Basin in Dedge: The Iron Rig, you need to pick up some new gear. To do this, you've got to advance the Stellar Basin questline from the base ga?me to the point where you've managed to grab the experimental tech from the wrecked lab for the Researcher in the area. Once you have it, you'll be able to buy the equipment required for the rig.

Next, visit the Engineer in the Factory on the rig to pick up the Infused Hoist. To get this, you need to deliver an Ironhaven Crate, a Dark Canister, and a Fathomless Winch. The Infused Hoist can fish in Abyssal, Hadal, and Oceanic waters, which? cover a huge part of Stellar Basin.

With your new rod installed, sail over to Stellar Basin and drop a crab pot into one of the oily spots in the biome. Only one of the fish you need to catch is a crab, but it takes ages for them to be caught by a pot. So, putting your pot down ??first ensures you have plenty of time for that ancient deep-sea dweller to crawl into your trap.

The other three fish required from Stellar Basin can be caught from any of the dark spots around the biome. Fish in each of the new fishing spots until your hull is full, then use Manifest to teleport to The Marrows and rest for the nig??ht before sailing to the rig to deliver your catch. You can use Manifest again to teleport and make the return tr?ip to Stellar Basin much quicker.

This is easily the longest journey you'll need to make in The Iron Rig, and you've got to make it two or three times, even?? if you're efficient. I've listed every fish?? you must catch for the Scientist in this biome below.

• Tripod Spiderfish
• Kerygmechela
• Eagle Shark
• Sea Slug

When you've delivered every sample from Stellar Ba??sin to the Scientist, a new character will appear on the rig. They? have a lot of influence, and I believe they're not quite who they appear to be. Needless to say, they don't care much for the trouble the rig's drill is causing and want operations to proceed regardless of the outcome.

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After gathering all the samples for the Scientist from Twisted Strand in Dredge: The Iron Rig, you mi??ght think he's done asking?? for strange fish. However, anyone who has completed the base game knows there's one final biome the DLC hasn't referenced yet: Devil's Spine.

With Twisted Strand out of the way, you trigger another world event that causes the black contaminant seen all over the watery world of Dredge to appear on the waters of the toughest-to-explore biome. The Scientist now cowers?? behind his blackboard and asks only for the usual set of samples from the newly contaminated biome. Without any other guidance, it's time to sail over, dodge the giant red angler fish that can crash your boat in a single attack, and gather e??very sample he needs.

How to get all the samples from Devil's Spine for the Scientist in Dredge: The Iron Rig

As was the case with The Marrows, Gale Cliffs, Stellar Basin, and Twisted Strand, you can't collect the samples for the Scientist from Devil's Spine without first getting some new gear. This time around, you must pick up the Infused Fireproof Rod from the Engineer in the Factory. You must trade in an Ironhaven Crate, a Dark?? Canister, and a Heat-Resistant Lne to get it.

The Infused Fireproof Rod gives you the ability to fish in new dark fishing spots in Devil's Spine thanks to its upgraded abilities. Sail over to the biome and?? drop a crab pot into the dark ooze before you do anything else because one of the creatures you must catch is a crab.

From there, you need to fish in the new dark spots until you've caught the other three fish the Scientist needs. One of these is in a Hadal spot, and the other two are in Volcanic spots, so swap out your rods accordingly. The biome is close enough to the rig that you can catch one or two of the samples and deliver them to the scientist before t?hey rot. Then, after a good night's rest, return to Devil's Spine to fish some more.

I've listed every fish you need to catch below.

• Vetulicolia
• Giant Dragonfish
• Dunkleosteus
• Sea Scorpion

As I mentioned, Devil's Spine is home to a massive red fish t??hat patrols it daily and will mess you up if you're not careful. If you don't have the Banish ability, keep the Manifest one handy so you can dodge it if it corners you.

When you return to the Scientist after grabbing all of the samples he needs, don't be afraid to hand them all over. There's no point of no return in Dredge: The Iron Rig because its story is separate from the base game's. If you conclude the DLC's story, you won't end the game, and delivering all of the samples from every biome to the Scientist won't end the DLC. Just watch what happens and feel the tiny crabs craw??l out of the game, across your skin, and into your ears, thanks to the huge spike in cosmic horror that occurs.

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The Iron Rig is the final expansion for Dredge, but its story takes place alongside the base game's. While playing, it's difficult to know if there's a point of no return that will end t?he gam?e before you're done. Thankfully, I've been through the entire thing and can tell you exactly what to do as you near the end of the DLC.

After starting The Iron Rig, you'll be sent on a series of new Pursuits that see you visit or revisit, depending on where you are in Dredge's story, every biome in the game. The rig, the DLC's new location, is massively imposing and always looked to me like it would be the focal point for the game's ending. This isn't the case, and the DLC's ending happens separately ??from the base game's, but they're intertwined in a way you may want to ??know about.

Is there a point of no return in Dredge: The Iron Rig?

No, there's no point of no return in Dredge: The Iron Rig. I go into spoiler territory in the section below, but here, I'll steer away from those waters while telling you only the essential information. The final Pursuit in The Iron Rig?? is sabotaging the rig's defenses. This is so?mething you'll be given the option to do once you've supplied the Scientist with all of his samples from Twisted Strand.

If you wa??nt to delve into spoiler waters, read below.

What happens when you sabotage the rig's defenses in Dredge: The Iron Rig?

When you sabotage the rig's defenses in Dredge: The Iron Rig, the FLEE message you've been sending to keep the beast from the deep away from the structure is changed to RISE. Of course??, this invites it to rise out of the ocean literally, and it does just that.

As the tentacles wrap around the rig's legs and start to crush them, it looks like the entire thing will be pulled under the ocean as whatever's on the other end of the tentacles slowly but surely stands up. Instead, the Leviathan that eats you in Dredge's bad ending, or if you sai?l to the edge of the map, grabs a tentacle and pul?ls the monster back beneath the waves. It saves the day.

Interestingly, while I played through The Iron Rig and ??had a moment in the ??day when my panic meter was pretty high, a tentacle appeared in the waters in front of me. Just as I swerved to avoid it, a whale jumped up, bit the tentacle, and pulled it under. This tells me that the greater beasts of the seas may all be working together somehow. That, or the whale mistook an ancient being for a colossal squid, which they usually eat.

This appears to indicate that the Leviathan that inhabits the seas ?around The Marrows is actually fighting the aberrations and source of the cosmic horrors that have been appearing all over these waters. It's like an old god keeping watch to ensure an even older evil doesn't emerge.

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The Iron Rig is the second piece of paid DLC for Dredge and might be its biggest expansion to date. It tasks you with signing up to work for a new company in the game, but it's not quite as simple as you might think. If you want? to get anywhere with them, you'll need to put in the legwork.

Once you've downloaded The Iron Rig DLC, it'll immediately impact your game. Dredge's world becomes filled with ??mysterious crates belonging to the Ironhaven company. You can dredge them up and stick them in storage, but eventually, you'll need to do something with them. That's not possible until you find the new location, though. It's not wise to turn up without upgrading your boat and completing some of the story first, though.

How to find and start The Iron Rig in Dredge

To find and start The Iron Rig in Dredge, you need to sail north towards the massive oil rig that appears in the world once you've downlo?aded the DLC. It's huge and very visible ?from The Marrows, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding it.

The DLC causes Ironhaven crates to appear all around the world. I recommend dredging these up and storing them because they play into what you'll be doing with I??ronhaven once you reach the rig. The story begins as soon as you start chatting to the NPCs there. So, when you're ready, sail over and say hi.

Note that The Iron Rig's story revolves around? gaining new gear, so it's worth going there as soon as possible. It will completely change the rest of the game.

What should you do before playing The Iron Rig in Dredge?

Before starting The Iron Rig in Dredge, you must complete the tutorial story in The Marrows. This is the location where ??you start the game's story, so it's pretty hard to miss. It's where you learn how to fish,?? how to dredge up materials, and where you'll find your first artifact.

Once you've completed that section of the story and have moved on to other locations, you should keep progressing until you've upgraded your boat's hull to level 2. Finally, you need to unlock trawling nets. All of this should only take you three or four hours at most. You unlock trawler nets in the third major location Dredge, but it rea??lly doesn't take much time to get there.

If you want to start a new save file, or this is your first time playing, and you want to speedrun reaching The Iron Rig, then fish as much a??s possible to earn money. I like to u??se crab pots to maximize my income. This will help you buy the gear you need to progress quickly. Dredge up as much material as you can find and then report back to the Dry Dock to slot it into upgrades.

If you do this enough, you should have all the materials, upgrades, and money you need by the time you unlock trawler nets.? Then??, it's simply a case of heading out to Ironhaven.

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Dredge: The Iron Rig introduces new secrets and surprises to the game world for you to uncover in a brand new playthrough or one in which you've almo?st gone mad by collecting Relics. Part of what it does is give you an excuse to return to old areas like Gale Cliff??s in search of new, strange fish.

The Scientist on the rig in Dredge: The Iron Rig will task you with collecting more specimens for?? him after you return from the newly contaminated Marrows. Despite the rig's drill having retracted, it's still causing chaos. Now, Gale Cliffs has been affected, with dark ooze bubbling up all over the place and odd new fish appearing from the darkest depths imaginable.

How to get all the samples from Gale Cliffs for the Scientist in Dredge: The Iron Rig

To get all the samples required for the Scientist from Gale Cliffs in Dredge: The Iron Rig, you need a new rod and a fast route between the location and the rig. The new rod comes courtesy of the Factory on the rig. Chat with the Engineer and provide her with an Ironhaven Crate and a Hydraulic Rod. This will allow her to craft the Infused Winch, which has improved fishing ca??pabiliti??es for Coastal, Shallow, and Oceanic waters.

Most of the waters around Gale Cliffs are Oceanic, so the Infused Winch is essential. Some are Shallow, but the Infused Winch can also fish them. I spent far too long trying to figure out why I couldn't fish in the area after arriving ?and collecting as much of the black sludge for the Scientist as possible. All the new fishing spots require infused fishing equipment for you to fish them, so don't bother using your old equipment.

Fish in all the oily spots? around Gale Cliffs, and you'll find all the fish you need. There's also a crab to catch, so make sure you drop a decent Crab Pot like the Mouth of the Deep and return to it after you've caught everything else ?to ensure you get it the first time you check the pot.

I used Manifest to quickly move from the rig and Gale Cliffs to The Marrows and shorten my journeys to and from each location. This power is unlocked after completing the base game story for Gale Cliffs, so speak to the locals there if you want to give yourself a more optimal route. Alternativel?y, you could equip a Trawler Net and use the journey between the locations to maximize your income by selling the fish you catch at the rig.

I've listed below all of the fish you'll need to catch for the Scientist from Gale Cliffs. Remember that you must use a crab pot to catch the Trilobite. You can catch all of?? these using the Infused Winch, so when you see these spots that require Abyssal fishing equipment, ignore them.

• Nautilus
• Sollasina
• Lancetfish
• Trilobite

When you return to the Scientist with all of these samples, you'll advance the story of The Iron Rig in Dredge once more. I don't want to spoil the surp??rise, but this is where things really go off the rails and dive deep into the unexpected. Get re??ady for your return to Stellar Basin next.

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After you've brought a few Ironhaven Crates to the oil rig in Dredge: The Iron Rig, you'll? start ??to see the fruits of your labor. The rig's colossal drill will descend into the sea and break through the bedrock at the bottom, creating a huge fissure that spreads throughout the world.

As the fissure spreads, it causes thick, black ooze to rise up from somewhere deep below. You'd think this was the oil the rig was after, but it doesn't quite seem like that's what Ironhaven is looking for. The Scientist is intrigued by this development and will task you with heading out to The Marrows, the first location you explored in Dredge, to see what new?? fish have appeared now the fissure has stirred things up a bit.

How to get all the samples from The Marrows for the Scientist in Dredge: The Iron Rig

Getting all the samples from The Marrows for the Scientist in Dredge: The Iron Rig is fairly easy once you know what's required of you. Instead of simply sailing back to this familiar location and fishi??ng in the new spots th?at have appeared around the black contaminant, you've got to use some new equipment.

When you accepted this Pursuit from the Scientist, he should have given you a new rod that he says was crafted by the rig's Factory. This is the Infused Rod, and it has improved Coastal and Shallow fishing capabilities. All the rods you get from the rig have improved your fishing abilities for Dredge's various biomes, so you'll?? need to slowly upgrade your gear as required.

With your Infused Rod installed, sail over to The Marrows and get fishi??ng. There's no secret to finding all the fish the Scientist needs. Just sail to The Marrows, check all the spots around the location where the black contaminant is bubbling up, and fish in the inky fishing spots there. The fish you'll need to catch and deliver to the Scientist are as follows.

• Osteostracan
• Tullimonstrum
• Paddlefish
• Sea Cucumber

It took me two trips to catc??h all of these fish because the Tullimonstrum is so massive. If you've upgraded your hull a few times, you sh??ould be fine getting all four at once. There's no time restriction, though, so you can slowly deliver each of these fish as you catch them at your own pace. They'll stay fresh in the Scientist's Lab.

After delivering all of the fish to the Scientist, you'll advance The Iron Rig's story. This shows you what happens when the rig crew understands what they've i?nadvertently set in motion, making even more work for you in the process.

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While upgrading the oil rig and helping out the people who've found themselves working on it in Dredge: The Iron Rig, you'll ?be tasked with getting a canister of contaminant for the Scientist. this strange request can't ?be fulfilled unless you know exactly what you're doing.

If you've been upgrading the oil rig for a while and haven't unlocked as many quests as you'd expect just yet, try speaking to everyone on the oil rig. While I worked through the DLC, I found that you needed to wait for a few days between upgrades to allow people to settle in and set themselves up so they can ask you for favors the next time you appear. To pick this particular quest up from the Scientist, you must have helped him out once already and raised the drill again in The Iron Rig.

How to get a canister of contaminant for the Scientist in Dredge: The Iron Rig

To get a canister of contaminant for the Scientist in Dredge: The Iron Rig, you must first acquire the Siphon Traw??ler. Before you can even contemplate this, you'll need to speak to the Engineer in the Factory and help her upgrade her facilities to Tier?? 2 with another Ironhaven Crate.

To get the Siphon Trawler, you need to provide the Engineer with 1 Ironhaven Crate and 1 Basic Trawl Net.?? You unlock the Basic Trawl Net after visiting Stellar Basin for the first time, so sail over there and unlock it if you haven't already. Once you've provided these to the Engineer, you can purchase and fit the Siphon Trawler to your boat.

The Siphon Trawler is controlled through your trawler net trigger on the action wheel. You need to lower it into the black contaminant sitting on the water in pools to collect it and suck up enough to get a canister. Sail over to one of the locations in The Marrows or Gale Cliffs where the black ooze has bubbled up and begin workin?g your way through it.

Note that this w??ill cost you some sanity, so be prepared to make a quick stop at the pontoon or a nearby dock for the night. Filling up a canister takes longer than you think, so dr??op a few crab pots to maximize the time spent in each area.

When you've hoovered up enough sludge, you'll be able to pick up a Dark Canister from your Trawler Net tab. This is what you need to deliver to the Scientist. However,? he also wants fish specimens, and you can't advance his quest any further until you've collected what he's after from Gale Cliffs.

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Dredge is a fabulous indie cosmic horror fishing game that eases you in with a solid fishing mechanic and a few mutated catches. The story and gameplay are engrossing and had me hooked from start to finish, which is why I'm so glad that its latest and final DLC, The Iron Rig, is the best excuse to start a new save file.

Dredge: The Iron Rig is both a story and world expansion for the base game that manages to preserve the core experience to the point that you'll have a better time with it if you restart the game instead of continuing on from a near-complete playthrough. The DLC's focal point is a huge oil rig that's visible from every part of the map, looming in the distance like some great metal giant just waiting to come to life and chase you across the seas. Mercifully, The Iron Rig doesn't do that. It does something much more sinis??ter.

Dredge: The Iron Rig (PC [Reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Black Salt Games
Publisher: Team 17
Released: August 15, 2024
MSRP: $11.99/£11.99

A new world beneath the surface

You can't access The Iron Rig in Dredge until you've reached the base game's third major location. This ensures you know what you're doing and have most of the equipment you'll need when you finally decide to visit the hulking metal structure. This is the DLC's greatest strength, because it helps keep the base game's story and progression intact. The way you slowly gain new technology and upgrades through the story helps you master them all, and The Iron Rig is all about increasing your power, so it wouldn't do for it to break that pro??gression right off t?he bat.

You will notice the impact of the DLC from the very first moment yo?u set sail on a new save file, though. Strange crates now appear in specific locations all over the map. Of course, ??the game teaches you to dredge up anything and everything you can, so these crates quickly fill up your storage as you hold onto them for a rainy day. That rainy day is your arrival at the oil rig just after reaching Stellar Basin.

The crates you've collected are used to build and unlock parts of the rig, allowing you to meet and greet the odd new characters it introduces. They're just as strange and haunted as the residents of every other location in t??he game, but each one seems to be trying to escape their past. They add a lot more flavor to a playthrough, and I had a great time working with them to unlock new features of the rig and use their services.

After a short while, the true nature of The Iron Rig is revealed. Once operational, the oil rig inadvertently causes a huge rift in the bedrock under the seas you thought you knew so well. This causes a thick black substance to bubble to the surface and forces new fish species to return to the ocean, having only previously appeared as fossils. It's obvious Black Salt Games had a blast with these creatures because you've got ancient fish, crustaceans, and even things we don't fully understan??d in? 2024, like the Tully Monster.

As you might expect, you'll pick up quests that revolve around these new species and that dark substance, but the base game's?? undercurrent of cosmic horror only grows with this new development. You have no i?dea what's going on, and the DLC's events only worsen over time, adding to the overarching narrative of this cursed collection of islands.

The most important thing about the way The Iron Rig's story evolves over time is that it follows Dredge's natural progression. It takes you through each area of the game in the same order you follow in the base story, which felt like it let me see them all in a completely new light. The progression also plays into the equipment you need to use in these areas as they change over time. Despite having already completed an area, you'll need to improve your equipment with strange new rods and gear if you want to return and advance The Iron Rig's story.

While some residents of previously visited locations will mention Ironhaven and the dark ooze covering their local waters, many others don't. I found this a little stranger than is usual for Dredge, just because these are massive alt??erations to the environment, and I expected to see more mentions of it in dialogue. However, this is an odd game with odd characters who fit just as well in the world, whether they mention changes to their surroundings or not.

The Iron Rig's characters more than make up for this, though. They're incredibly chatty and strange and toe the line between unnerving you and making you feel like a firm friend. They're super unsettling and don't feel like a part of any of Dredge's communities. This fits perfectly because they're outsiders, so they shouldn't be similar to any of the locals. Black Salt Games hit the nail on the head with them because they really are this cosmically haunted world's definition of a rag-tag group of outsiders, all clearly hiding from their past or attempting to hide their intentions in the most remote location in the world. The p?roblem for them is that location has just as many secrets as they do.

The Iron Rig gives you more reasons to fish and dredge up materials, but it can be a bit of a slog if you don't utilize the new gadgets you can grab from the rig. Standard equipment like trawler nets and crab pots are altered to allow you to gather the thick black liquid rising up from the deep and collect the materials strewn throughout the ocean by crashed ships. You'll also need a new set of ro?ds to catch every new fish and crustacean the dark liq??uid brings with it because the infusions the rig provides protect your line from the unknown substance.

This speeds up progression through both the base game and DLC somewhat, but with the added seven hours or so The Iron Rig tacks onto the base game, it doesn't feel any less meaty. I tried to play through the DLC's story in tandem with the base game, and nothing ever felt like busywork. The initial story helps you grasp the basics, and The Iron Rig lets you stretch your wings, so to speak.

For all the new technology The Iron Rig adds and the renewed speed at which you can get it, Dredge's attention to detail may be its own downfall when it comes to the DLC. After acquiring upgrades for my engines that ??added new abilities but also massively increased my speed, I found that traversing the world actually became more difficult. I kept bumping into rocks tha??t I never hit even when my boat was fully upgraded in the base game.

I want to stress that this only happened in a couple of areas, such as the Collector's island and locations where there are many objects to dodge as you travel. It's not a dealbreaker by any stretch, but it did frustrate me because I knew I shouldn't be ramming these things, and the only difference is that The Iron Rig has given my ??boat more power than I can clearly? handle.

I fell in love with Dredge all over again while playing The Iron Rig. It completes the game in a way I never thought I needed and makes it feel brand new. Every point that the base game made about humanity??'s impact on the world and the unknown implications from...well, the unknown, is heightened by the DLC. It's the perfect reason to replay, a fantastic excuse to stay in bed all weekend and play a cozy horror game, and a new way to make yourself wonder about what's lurking out of sight the next time you look out at the vastness of the ocean.

The post Review – Dredge: The Iron Rig appeared first on Destructoid.

The Iron Rig is the second premium DLC for Dredge following The Pale Reach. It adds a new story that's designed to be enjoyed alongs??ide the base game, giving you a new p??urpose in this world of cosmic horror fishing and many more gadgets to utilize.

As far as we know, the DLC is the last one planned for the game, and it has been coming for a long time. After an initial delay to allow developer Black Salt Games more time to make the experience the best it could be, it's finally going to be released for all platforms in 2024. I devoured every inch of Dredge and its abhorrent fish when it was fir?st released, and I can't wait to see what this DLC does to build upon what is already a solid base.

When is the release date for Dredge: The Iron Rig?

Dredge: The Iron Rig will be released on August 15, 2024, and it will launch for all platforms simultaneously. You can add the DLC to your wishlists on digital storefronts such as Steam, but the??re's also a physical collector's ed?ition that looks like it could twist your entire collection with its cosmic energy.

Where to buy Dredge Collector's Edition

You can pre-order the Dredge Collector's Edition from the developer's official page on the product. At the time of writing, it's only available via Amazon in France, Germany, and Spain. However, as the distribution pipelines are ironed out, more countries will be added over time. At £99.99/�9.99/$99.99, it's not the cheapest collector's edition I've ever seen, but it's? certainly got a lot of value in it for that m?oney.

Dredge Collector's Edition will be released in November 2024 and packs in a slew of physical content that any fans of the game will adore. I like that it doubles down on the best items you get from collector's editions. See below for everything you get in?? this massive?? package.

• Collector's Box to encompass it all.
• Dredge Complete Edition with the game and a spooky reverse inlay.
• An A3 map.
• A double-sided A3 poster.
• Sign of Ruin replica.
• Double-Sided Coin.
• A message from the developer in a bottle.
• Fish species notebook.

What does The Iron Rig add to Dredge?

The Iron Rig brings a new location from which you can pick up work at any point in Dredge's story, Iro?nhaven. A new NPC there will recruit you and task you with collecting resources from every area in the game. That means you can progress Ironhaven's technology trees alongside the base game and ??give yourself a real advantage.

Of course, if you've already got a save right before the end of the game, this is still going to add hours of content for you to sail through. What you get from Ironhaven is new equipment, abilities, and consumables. You'll also be building u??p a base of operations there, which is a first for the game since every time we've had a meaningful impact on a location, it's been restricted to one or two changes to NPCs.

As you help Ironhaven expand, its drilling operations will cause a dark liquid to start spilling out into the seas, changing and twisting everything. You're going ?to be investigating what this liquid is doing to the waters and use a new tier of fishing equipment to see what's lurking in its inky depths.

Will there be more fish in Dredge: The Iron Rig?

Yes, Black Salt Games has confirmed that there will be over 50 new fish species to collect in The Iron Rig in Dredge. Some of these are going to be Abberations resulting from the black liquid Ironhaven is s??tirring up, but you'll also be picking up never-before-seen species from the very bottom of the ocean like you're an ichthyologist off the coast of Chile.

The post Dredge: The Iron Rig ??release date a?nd gameplay details appeared first on Destructoid.

Recently, we told you that British developer Team17 may experience job losses following the CEO leaving the company. Sadly, it looks as t?hough this may be the case after all, with the studio possibly losing a third of its staff.

That's according to a recent report from Eurogamer, which says that cuts to Team17 could see 91 positions being affected. Initially, it was thought that the QA department would be the main focus of the layoffs. However, it appears as though redundancies may be felt in the IT, HR, marketing, customer service, and usabil?ity departments.

Developers are said to ha?ve contacted Eurogamer with concerns that upcoming games published by Team17 may be in jeopardy. At the time of writing, the studio has not issued an official statement, nor publically given a reason behind the restructure.

A bad time to be part of a development team

This seems to be just one ??more example of a wider issue in the current gaming industry. Publishers and studios have been restructuring departments and teams, which has unfortunatel?y led to staff members being let go.

Recently, it was reported that Naughty Dog had also been hit with layoffs, as had The Walking Dead and Wolf Among Us studio Telltale Games. Epic Games has also cut 16% of its workforce recently, impa??cting around 830 employees i?n total.

It's not just game developers, either. Streaming service Twitch has also been experiencing layoffs, making it feel like anyone who works in gaming? in any capacity isn't safe.

Hopefully, Team17 will issue a statement about the reported layoffs, but rig?ht now feels like a shaky time to be involved in the video game industry.

The post Worms developer Team??17 set t??o lay off a third of its staff appeared first on Destructoid.

It has dredged up a release date.

 Black Salt Games and Team17 have announced that the first expansion DLC for the nautical horror game Dredge is set to release for all platforms on November 16, 2023. The Pale Reach will have sailors exploring a frozen a new “icy expanse.�/p>

The Pale Reach adds a new arctic biome. You’re tasked with following in the footsteps of a doomed expedition. I’ve read At the Mountain of Madness. I know exactly how this is going to turn out. In this new region is 11 new species of aquatic life, as well as their twiste???d aberrant alternatives.

That’s all I got. It’s more Dredge. Here’s the trailer:

I reviewed Dredge when it launched back in March. I wasn’t too impressed. I summed it up by saying, “It’s hardly condemning to say, ‘this fishing game is about fishing.�I’m mostly trying to stress that, ‘No, this is really about fishing.’�Because, like, it looks like a horror game �and it is �but it’s? less unraveling a mystery and more selling the catch of the day. I felt that the fishing got a bit repetitive over time, and everything around it w?as a bit shallow.

I'm not really certain if The Pale Reach expansion is going to do anything to fix that, but a lot of people enjoyed Dredge for wha?t it was, so that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The Pale Reach is coming to Dredge on ??November 16, 2023. It will run you?? a reasonable $5.99.

The post Horror fishing game Dredge gets its first ex??pansion in November appeared first on Destructoid.

More slack in the line

Team17 has revealed the roadmap to Black Salt Games�indie darling, Dredge, that continues through to the end? ?of the year. While many additions could be considered “small,�it will conclude with paid DLC at the end of the year.

First up, we’ve got map markers. I didn’t even realize they weren’t already in the game. I guess I just didn’t need them so hard that I never looked to see if they were there.

Next up is a feature I always appreciate: a photo mode. It's always nice being able to set up the perfect visual. You’ll get this ability from a character in the game and can then use it to find new wildlife to snap photos of. As part of this update, you’ll be able to turn off the aggressive behavior of certain sea monsters. While I feel like vulnerability is sort of central to the horror of Dredge, ?it will be ?helpful for anyone who just wants to explore without being harrowed.

In Q3, the Dredge team will be adding boat custo?mization. Once again, I didn't necessarily look for this while playing, but I always love new ways to get creative. This will come in the form o??f paint schemes and flags.

Life at sea

Finally, at the end of the year, Black Salt Games will release paid DLC for Dredge. The DLC will center around a mysterious corporation known as Ironhaven. While they claim to be simply investing in drilling operations to revitalize the area’s towns and settlements, th??eir actual goals seem much more sinister. Nonetheless, you’ll be aiding them with building up their facilities while uncovering their secrets.

While I wasn’t in love with Dredge, I appreciate it thematically. The paid DLC seems k?ind of cool, and I might be willing to check ??it out when it finally drops at the end of the year.

If you haven’t dropped anchor on Dredge, it’s ??available on PC, PS4, PS5, X?box One, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch.

The post Team17 reveals roadmap (seamap?) for D?redge updates appeared first on Destructoid.

Gone fishin'

Anecdotally, one of the most common complaints I hear about The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is that there was too much time ??spent sailing. That’s completely valid. I get it, not everyone is fine with looking at the ass end of a boat for large slabs of time?, but for me, that was one of my favorite parts.

Dredge marries the ass end of a boat with horror. I love horror. I moved onto it after I explored so many depressing games that I eventually reached the other end of them and realized it was a cliff. So, rather than jump off that cliff, I turned around and meandered through the bramble field of horror. Let’s ignore this obvious cry for help and take a look at Dredge instead.

[caption id="attachment_369896" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Dredge (PC [Reviewed], Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Black Salt Games
Publisher: Team17
Released: March 30, 2023
MSRP: $24.99

Horror fishing is a vastly under-utilized genre of video game. Off the top of my head, I can only really think of one other game that did it: Monster Bass on PS1. Dredge takes a different approach.

You’re cast as a fisherman who is called to help the small town of Greater Morrow after their last fisherman…uh…did a bad job. You find out quickly that night is a bad time to be out at sea, as your ship is wrecked on the nearby rocks. The mayor hooks you up with a new ship (and debt) and sets ??you back off to work.

It’s not long before you pull up something horrible from the deep. Some of the fish are badly mutated. The townsfolk whisper of madness and other dark things. You learn the fate of the old mayor and get wrapped up in some questionable errands. Keep your head down and?? keep wor??king. You’re just a fisherman. You know nothing of the horrors that lurk deep beneath the waves.

When it's raining and when it ain't

The mystery of Dredge is unfurled slowly. Then it jus?t keeps unfurling. The main crux of the narrative is that you’re tasked with finding a number of items from the four corners of the map by this creepy guy who keeps casting spells on you.

Largely, you fish to make money. Money gets you better equipment and also helps keep your boat afloat. You can unlock new equipment by finding research mate??rial out at sea. This can allow you to get better fishing gear and engines. You’ll also find debris that can be used to improve your? boat to hold more items.

Your goals also involve a lot of f??ishing. There’s an item to get in each of the four corners of the world, and usually, you’ll need specific species of fish in order to get to them. One, for example, has you slot in various sea creatures to unlock keys that eventually result in you getting the sought-after treasure. Another, those fish are used to make special chum, and so on. It’s a number of different fishing systems that all feed into one another. While the challenges in each part of the world are unique, they’re all unified under catching fish.

[caption id="attachment_369897" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A sailor's life

On the surface, Dredge is actually a rather relaxing game. Chugging across the waves in your little boat is peaceful, and the music is rather ?nice. Despite being a horror game, the biggest hazard is bumping into rocks. There are monstrous entities in the deep, but they’re not much of a threat as long as you give them a wide berth.

The relaxed mindset is probably the best one to go into Dredge with. The actual gameplay is rather drab. Not that I expected a lot of action here, but chugging back and forth from the different locations can grow a lit??tle stale over its 10-ish hour playtime. While some of the characters are relatively well-defined, not much is done with the dialogue system. There’s backstory floating on the waves, but I never found much of it t??o be very interesting.

For t?hat matter, the narrative is pretty weak. It’s not bad, but it never quite makes it above the waves. The way it started, I half expected it to start out relatively normal while gradually piling on the horror as it continues. However, it never really gets to that point. It’s sort of flat throughout, and I was left a bit confused about how some of it progresses. By the end, I had some questions I felt I wasn’t provided answers for. Not in a “read between the lines�kind of way, but rather, “why did things unfold this way?�There’s no growing threat that leads to a terrific climax. It just kind of chugs along.

[caption id="attachment_369899" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Catch of the day

That’s not to say that Dredge is bad. It’s hardly condemning to say, “this fishing game is about fishing.�I’m mostly trying to stress that, “No, this is really about fishing.�The horror part is mostly a framework. T?he fishing mini-game isn’t that involving, which can lead to a bit of repetition.? At least the progress is good.

I just don’t think Dredge is all that it could be. While the sea-harvesting foundation is solid and well thought out, nothing else around it has much depth. There’s a dearth of imagination surrounding it, which I found disappointing. The plot is lifeless, the gameplay is one-note, and it never really picks up speed. However, if you want a more relaxing take on horror, Dredge might be worth hauling up from the depths.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Dredge appeared first on Destructoid.

A lonely boy finds peace in fishing

Are you ready to bait some monsters?

Team17 and Black Salt Games have announced that the eldritch fishing game, Dredge, will be setting sail on March 30, 2023. That’s why I love fishing games, there are so many analogies I can make for when they launch. That’s practically another one right there! It’ll be c?oming to PC and all your favorite consoles.

Dredge has you set out into the murky waters to make a living by selling your fishing discoveries and running quests for the i??nhabitants of the islands. While you’re at it, solve a mystery, upgrade your boat, and strengthen your mind to survive.

//www.y??outube.com/watch?v=kfniX3fH1l0&;ab_channel=Team17

I find it difficult to imagine any sport that couldn’t be monumentally improved with eldritch horror. However, while I’m waiting for my Elder Gods Basketball, I’m definitely down for setting sail and being a harvester of the sea in Dredge. Jordan gave the demo a look back when it dropped and came away impressed. While this will be Black ?Salt Games�maiden voyage, it’s looking to be a memorable one.

You’ll be seeing Dredge off the starboard bow on March 30, 2023 on Switch,? PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platfo??rms.

The post Dredge catches and releases March 30 appeared first on Destructoid.

A slice of what's in store for Steam

Valve is hosting the October Steam Next Fes?t right now, full of d?emos, livestreams, and more about games coming to the Steam platform.

There are actually hundreds of free, playable game demos on the platform right now from October 3 through 10. It's a great time for? developers ??to show off what they've been working on, put more eyes on their Steam store pages, and accrue some coveted Wishlist additions.

With so many demos available, though, it can be a bit daunting to find exactly what you might like. Or to stumble upon something you didn't expect. That's where round-ups like these come in.

While by no means comprehensive, I've been spending t?he last few days digging through the lineup, playing demos, and adding them to my to-play list. Some of these games are ones I've played and can recommend, others are on my shortlist, and even m??ore I just dig the vibes.

If you're looking for some pointers on some Steam N?ext Fest demos to check out, here's a quick ru?ndown.

Gunbrella

On its face, a game featuring a gun-umbrella combination is already pretty interesting. It's got almost a Bloodborne switch-weapon kind of vibe, reminiscent of a similar weapon seen in the Kingsman movies. What really makes Doinksoft's Gunbrella click isn't standing ??still and firing bullets fro??m behind an umbrella, though; it's the movement.

Gunbrella lets you zip around levels like a candy wrapper caught in an updraft, bop onto heads, and then unload shotgun rounds. It just feels darn good to play. Most demos, I try to play around 15 to 20 minutes, just to get a sample and move on. I finished Gunbrella's demo and wanted much more.

Find it on Steam here.

Potionomics

There isn't too much more to say about Potionomics that I didn't already say in my preview write-up from PAX East 2022. Its immediately charming art?? style draws you in, and then its dense but carefully layered systems k?eep you playing more. It has social links, shop management, deck building and strategy, and a lively cast of characters. Safe to say this is one of my more anticipated games for the month, and it's actually coming out pretty soon too.

Check it out on Steam here.

Dredge

Jordan's writeup about the reveal of Dredge already had me intrigued, but the actual demo has me on the hook. Yes, it's a fishing game with some light Resident Evil-style inventory management. It's very pretty in motion. But good lord, is it creepy. Do you want a fishing game with some Eldritch vibes? Does the thought of fishing alone at night, in the dense fog, with no companion aside from your flickering boat light intrigue you? Then you might just dig Dredge.

Check it out the Steam Next Fest demo here.

The Case of the Golden Idol

One of my first big surprises of the Steam Next Fest demo rollout was The Case of the Golden Idol. Th??e art style is going to be what catches your eye, for better or worse. It's expressive and often gruesome. But that really fits what developer Color Gray Games is going for. In each puzzle, you're zipped into the scene of a crime, and left to use logic and deduction to figure out the whodunnit, as well as several other pieces of information??.

The Case of the Golden Idol has a really great mix of just enough info to get the cogs turning, without ever feeling like it handed anything to me. Fans of Return of the Obra Dinn should absolutely have this on th??eir radar, as it comes out on October 13.

You can give The Case of the Golden Idol a test run here.

Slay the Princess

Black Tabby Games' Slay the Princess already had me in its claws with its exceptional trailer and concept. Playing its demo, though, I'm ?both intrigued by what I've seen and extremely curious to see where it all goes from here. This demo has several different endings, and all of them seem to layer and build upon each other in a way that's both impressive and a little terrifying, thinking of the design that's gone into it. This was another demo th??at I got to the end of and immediately wanted more.

Find your own route(s) through the Steam Next Fest demo here.

9 Years of Shadows

Many of my picks so far have popped out to me thanks to their art style, and 9 Years of Shadow is certainly no different. While the screenshots look gorgeous, it's the intro of the demo that really hooked me in. Halberd's Metroidvania definitely has the Symphony of the Night vibe to it as wel??l, and it feels pretty solid to run around and slash away in. It's one to watch for folks still looking to get their 2D side-scrolling search-action fix.

Find the demo here.

Inkulinati

Winning the Don't Judge By The Cover award for me in this Steam Next Fest is Inkulinati. This scribe-centric strategy game has some really solid tactics at its core. I went in assuming it would be jokes about farts and Monty Python references, and to be clear, there are farts. Despite that, I really dug the careful tug-of-war that Inkulinati plays out across its pages, weaving the real history of marginalia into a strategy game that clicks pr??etty well.

Try out the demo for yourself here.

Wildfrost

If deckbuilding is your favorite way to pass the time, Wildfrost has some interesting ideas going for it. One part I really dug was how neatly everything was explained; it was nev??er too hard to click on a card and get some info right away. The cards that fill your deck are all fun and cute, and it just feels like a very cozy, chill deckbuilding strategy. Some of the lane and countdown clock aspects can be a little hard to keep track of as matches go on, but that's about my only nitpick of an otherwise very fun card-based rogue-lite.

Check out the Steam Next Fest demo here.

Venice 2089

This adventure title popped out at me as I was rolling through the different menus on the Steam Next Fest, and yeah, Venice 2089 is rad. It's a ??bit of exploration and adventure, as the focus is largely on talking to characters, taking in the sights and story, and cruising around on your hoverboard. But not only is the setting, as a slowly sinking city of Venice in the future, super interesti?ng. It's also just got a good mix of music, art, and overall atmosphere to create a really chill experience that I liked getting lost in.

Try out Venice 2089 for yourself here.

Diluvian Winds

Alambik Studio's Diluvian Winds feels like the meeting point between the likes of Spiritfarer and survival city-builders. You manage a rotating group of animal pals, who drift in and hang out for a bit, helping you build up a community that can support itself as the days go on. Eventually t??hey drift along, but their contributions remain, and that part really stuck with me.

Eventually, unpredictable weather starts to thro?w wrenches into the gears. But in my demo playthrough, I just really liked seeing new people show up, add something of themselves to this island hamlet, and then move along to somewhere new.

Give it a shot on Steam over here.

Lego Bricktales

I got to check this one out at PAX East 2022, and now a dem?o is widely available. So now you, too, can experience th??e magic and chaos of building a Lego build that crumbles before your eyes.

But seriously, this is a really interesting implementation of physics and bricks from the folks behind Bridge Constructor. It makes Lego feel like the medium, as much a??s the subject, and it was really cool seeing my builds come to life in-game the further I went.

Build your very own Lego Bricktales builds in the demo here.

Riley & Rochelle

Normally, I try to avoid anything too story-heavy in a demo fest. I just like to experience it all in one go, you know? But I peeked my head in to check out the general vibes of Riley & Rochelle, the new detective-y game about piecing together a rough rockstar rela?tionship. It's got some solid writing and good art, and the wonderful music really works as connective tissue, tying it all together.

I only solved a couple diary entries before I bounced out, but this is another mystery game to check out, especially if you like a little musical twist?.

Find the demo on Steam here.

That's all for our own round-up, but please feel free to shout-?out some of your favorites from this month's Steam Next Fest below in the comments! There are literally dozens upon dozens of demos to play, so shouting out your favorites and making sure to Wishlist them always helps.

The post Steam Next Fest: A round-up?? of cool demos worth checking ou??t appeared first on Destructoid.