Dredge Best Boat Upgrades

Indie game Dredge has players work on a fishing boat for fish and treasure. Here's which upgrades players should prioritize getting.

In Black Salt Games' latest indie fishing/horror title, Dredge, players will take command of a small fishing boat and scour the waters for exotic catches and treasure hauls, in addition to avoiding the supernatural predators that lie within the fog. Having been shipwrecked on the mysterious isles named 'The Marrows', players will work to pay off their debts to the townsfolk of Greater Marrow before exploring the wider region and the wonders that await. The initial replacement boat provided by the Mayor of Greater Marrow is sufficient for catching smaller fish, but in order to explore further and catch new species, it will be necessary to invest in some upgrades. Keep in mind that each upgrade will take time to install, the larger the upgrade the longer it will take, so it is often best to install these upgrades at night, particularly early in the game.

RELATED: Mistakes To Avoid When Playing Dredge

Some upgrades in Dredge can be purchased directly from the Shipwright and Fishmongers, while others may require Research, which can be done at any dock using Research Parts - which players will either find from dredging wrecks or be given as quest rewards by NPCs.

One of the first upgrades players should look to invest in is the engine department. Due to the in-game rapid day-night cycle, every minute counts out on the water, and movement speed is critical in order to reap the maximum benefits of a day's work. In addition to this, predators lurking in the night can be better avoided with a more powerful engine, which will provide valuable maneuverability when taking on the game's larger foes.

The Improved Outboard Engine's 15.8kn is substantially better than the initial Rusty Outboard Engine's 10.5kn, and also a slight improvement on the other available option, the Peculiar Engine, which achieves a speed of 14.7 knots.

In order to start catching larger fish, it will be necessary to install fishing rods on the Fisherman's boat. The Weighted Line is a good first option as it will enable the catching of more valuable fish in Coastal and Shallow regions, which is where players will spend the majority of their time during the early game. It will also last the duration of the game as every island region will have areas containing variations of Coastal and Shallow species.

RELATED: The Best Lovecraftian RPGs

Though it may be a slightly awkward shape, to begin with, it actually frees up more inventory space than some alternatives, providing space for some small fish, crabs, or loot from dredged shipwrecks.

The nights of Dredge are a horrifying stark contrast to the tranquil and relaxing days. At night, predators stalk and apparitions appear and challenge the Fisherman. Lights are a necessary defense against Panic, which will increase the longer players go without sleep, and the more they encounter large terrors in the water. Once a Tier 2 Hull upgrade or an additional lighting slot has been purchased, the Tungsten Floodlight offers significantly more fog-clearing light than the single-slot bulbs, as well as a slight advantage over the 1800-lumen Halogen Spotlight.

The Tungsten Floodlight produces 2100 lumens, which is more than four times that of the Cracked Bulb players will start with. At a price of $315, it is not that much more expensive than the Halogen Spotlight and is well worth waiting an extra day to save up for.

In addition to fishing and dredging, players will also soon be able to deploy Crab Pots in order to catch further marine life, boost profits and fill smaller inventory gaps on return voyages. The Efficient Crab Pot can be purchased from the Fishmonger for $135, which is not vastly more expensive than the $90 Basic Crab Pot. This will provide a 4x4 capacity and enable the capture of larger crustaceans such as the Crown Of Thorns and the Spiny Lobster, which will in turn be worth more than catches of smaller crabs.

RELATED: The Best Fishing Games Of All Time, Ranked

Ensure that all crab pots are placed in areas marked 'plenty', which will usually be in the shallower regions. The variety of species and the likelihood of catching Aberrations depends upon the location around Dredge's five main island groups.

Many of Dredge's most valuable fish are to be found in the Oceanic regions which separate the game's landmasses and retrospective biomes. The fish in these waters are usually bigger and fetch a higher price at the Fishmongers than many others, but can only be caught using the requisite equipment. Fortunately, the Hydraulic Rod is able to grant this access very early in the game, providing a valuable cash boost that can be spent on further upgrades (or repairs!).

The Hydraulic Rod will cost 1 Research Part to unlock in the Shipwright, and can then be installed over a period of 4 hours (in-game, not real-time) at a cost of $369.

Nets are a valuable piece of equipment that enables the boat to Trawl, catching smaller fish in its wake whenever this ability is deployed. This will help to provide a passive income while moving through the water, enabling virtually a near-continuous stream of income, even if just exploring and completing tasks other than fishing. Of all the net upgrades available in the various Dry and Floating Docks throughout the world, the Heavy Duty Trawl Net is by far the most superior. Much like Rods, Nets are also limited as to which type of fish they can catch.

RELATED: Best Indie Games On Xbox Game Pass

Most nets will specialize in certain biomes and Coastal waters, but the Heavy Duty Trawl Net has the added benefit of being able to capture fish in Oceanic regions, meaning that players can still generate income while crossing the larger expanses of water in between the various biomes.

Much of the core challenge while playing Dredge lies in careful and efficient inventory management, and one of the bulkier pieces of equipment that can take up valuable space is the boat's engines.

The Jet Drive Engine costs 5 Research Parts before it is made available, but will provide an additional 9.5kn of speed while only sacrificing a single inventory slot. These can be extremely valuable for squeezing the extra last mile both out of the boat and the inventory slots available.

In order to boost inventory capacity, it is necessary to invest in Hull upgrades. As well as providing a much larger area in which to place Fish, Trinkets, or Materials, in addition to organizing Rods, Engines, Lights, and Nets, the Hull is also a measure of the boat's durability, which will become especially important when encountering some of the game's less pleasant sea creatures.

The Tier 4 Hull represents the pinnacle of Hull Upgrades and will grant access to the final tier of further Rod, Cargo, Engine, and Light slots. At a cost of $1500, it is not cheap to install, and will also require 4x Wood, 3x Metal Scraps, 4x Cloth, and 3x Research Parts. Following this, however, the ship will gain an additional 15 Cargo Spaces as well as be able to sustain one further hit from a large predator. The Tier 3 Hull and all of its components will also need to be purchased in order to unlock Tier 4.

MORE: Best Relaxing Slow-Paced Open-World Games