Every 'Dredge' Ending Explained and What You Need to Do to Get Them
Published April 3 2023, 3:25 p.m. ET
Without a doubt, Dredge has an unearthly atmosphere that introduces new twists and turns to expand its limits. Naturally, the fishing mechanics, island exploration, and boat upgrading will take most of a player's time, but the eerie narrative is a looming backdrop they can't escape.
After following the wishes of The Collector, a man tasking players to dredge otherwordly relics underneath the sea, Dredge will unravel some mysteries and leave some unanswered to linger once it concludes.
Surprisingly, the cosmic horror fishing game has more than one ending. If you're wondering what each means and how to get the endings in Dredge, here's an explanation:
'Dredge' has a good and bad ending you can get.
Once you've obtained the last relic, whatever you do next will determine if you get a good or bad ending in Dredge. The latter is the easiest to stumble upon, while the former isn't as obvious.
The bad ending involves turning in the last relic to The Collector on Blackstone Isle and agreeing to make a final voyage to a specific location he marks on your map. You will see a pillar of the familiar eldritch-like lights at the spot, and when you reach it, the final cutscene will begin.
Conversely, the good ending requires you to head to an optional area south of the Devil's Spine after obtaining the last relic. On the island will be a dock where you can find an NPC named The Old Mayor.
Hear out his story and head to the Lighthouse Keeper on the Greater Marrow island to start a conversation about the Crimson Book held by The Collector. The process will send you to the bespectacled man, prompting an option to conceal the relic.
You will then press him about the Crimson Book, take it from The Collector, and throw it into the ocean.
Quite a lot happens between both endings, and much is still a mystery once the curtains close, but you do earn some crucial answers.
Both 'Dredge' endings explained:
The bottles you found across the game have planted seeds about a married couple coming into contact with the evil power underneath the sea.
The good ending reveals the unnamed main character as the husband from the final conversations with the Lighthouse Keeper and Old Mayor. Moreover, the ending hints at The Collector and the protagonist being the same person.
It's a working theory, but a scene of the protagonist staring at a broken mirror of The Collector leads us to believe that's the case.
The protagonist had his memories wiped by an eldritch god after his wife was killed during its attack, the Crimson Book being the centerpiece of its summoning and creating hallucinations of The Collector.
The good ending helps the protagonist realize the undeniable truth and chuck the Crimson Book in his possession.
On the other hand, the bad ending sees the protagonist lured out to sea and eaten by a monster. We can assume the eldritch god is protecting the knowledge of the Crimson Book and summoned the creature.
Dredge is now available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.