Sail Anywhere, But Be Home by Dark: Exploring the Tension Between Freedom and Fear in Dredge

Gaming reflections from the pause menu of life.

It’s easy to fall in love with the freedom of Dredge. I still remember my first morning sailing, when the sun cut across the water and the ocean was bright blue shade of wonder. It felt like an open invitation to come on in and explore. It felt like I could sail anywhere, an open world to explore with my boat and fishing gear.

But shortly after I left the safety of port, I learned the same lesson that every other player learns.

By nightfall, the water changed and was no longer the beautiful blue shade it was when I first set sail. What once felt peaceful, had turned into a sense of uneasiness. Shapes began to drift just outside of my lantern’s light, leaving me uncertain what those shapes were. My lamp began to flicker. All of a sudden, I realized that my sense of freedom at the beginning of the day, had a cost after all.

The sea in Dredge may shimmer by day, but it is never truly safe. That tension, between what you can do and what you should do, is at the heart of the gameplay. And for me, it became a point of reflection and thoughtful consideration.