It’s October, a month full of mystery, monsters, and spine-chilling stories. Few video games fit fall’s spooky spirit better than Dredge, an indie horror adventure that follows a fisherman as his ventures at sea grow increasingly Lovecraftian.
Developed by the New Zealand-based Black Salt Games and published by Team 17, Dredge was released on March 30, 2023. The game has achieved great success since its release, surpassing the developer’s original expectations of selling 100,000 units by the end of the year. Instead, they surpassed that number within the first 24 hours of the game’s launch.
Joel Mason, a writer and programmer for Dredge, announced some great news for mobile gamers today via a post on X (formerly Twitter). The game is set to release on iOS, Android, and Mac, all on December 18, 2024.
Now players can explore the watery depths on the go and on a smaller screen. For those concerned about how the game will translate into the mobile medium, Black Salt Games CEO and the producer of Dredge, Nadia Thorne assures players that they have planned for the change.
We’ve spent some time optimizing the experience for mobile screens and touch inputs, and it plays really nicely on the small or square screens of phones and tablets.
Dredge is currently available for pre-registration on iOS and macOS, but not on Android for specific reasons. Mason alluded to an ongoing issue with Google, stating that the company “doesn’t believe we own the rights to our own game.” Regardless, it seems that the game will still be available on December 18, the day of its official mobile release.
Pre-ordering Dredge will get players an exclusive starting rod, and Apple users have the option to try the game before purchasing it, giving them access to a demo version. Both of Dredge’s current DLCs, Pale Reach and The Iron Rig, will be available on the mobile version as in-app purchases. The studio behind Dredge tells players that they will be able to enjoy the game without any “content cut or altered for mobile, ensuring that mobile players get the full experience.”
Black Salt also plans on adapting Dredge into a live-action film, having already partnered with Story Kitchen to turn the idea into reality. Story Kitchen is the same company behind a variety of video game movie adaptions, including the upcoming animated Tomb Raider series on Netflix and the Sonic Films. It’s safe to say that Black Salt has big plans for expanding Dredge into new territory.
Although Dredge’s mobile release is still a ways away, its announcement is certainly in the October spirit. Be careful around large bodies of water and try not to let Dredge’s underwater mystery consume you in the meantime!