Games like DREDGE: fish by day, fear the night

Dave the Diver, Webfishing and Subnautica each share part of DREDGE: the catch, the calm and the thing below. Here are picks by mood, from cozy to creepy, plus Roam night-sea games.

What DREDGE is

DREDGE is a fishing adventure by Black Salt Games, published by Team17 in March 2023. You captain a small trawler around a chain of islands. You fit odd-shaped fish into your hold like a puzzle, sell them, upgrade the boat, and slowly learn what the locals will not say out loud.

Stay out after dark and your panic rises, fog rolls in and things in the water start to change. It came to iPhone and Android in February 2025.

The cozy side

Dave the Diver. Mintrocket's 2023 game. Dive for fish by day, run a sushi bar by night.
Webfishing. lamedeveloper's 2024 online hangout. Fish, chat and sit by the water with friends.
Moonglow Bay. Bunnyhug's 2021 fishing game about bringing a seaside town back to life.
Reel Deal (Roam). A casual fishing sim. Cast off the dock and see what bites.
Fishing Sim (Roam). A quiet lake, a long dock and 12 fish to find.

The creepy side

Subnautica. Unknown Worlds' 2018 ocean survival game. The deeper you go, the worse it gets.
Iron Lung. David Szymanski's 2022 short horror game. A tiny submarine, an ocean of blood, and no windows.
Sea of Thieves. Rare's 2018 pirate game. Sail with friends, fish, and meet the Kraken.
Lighthouse Has Legs (Roam). A night sea delivery adventure. Deliver the cargo, stay out of the red beam.

Tips if you liked DREDGE's tension

The best moments in these games come from risk you choose. Go out one more time before dark. Carry one more fish than is safe. Pick games with a clear warning sign, like a panic meter or an oxygen bar, so you always know how close to the edge you are.

Play it on Roam

Make your own spooky fishing game with Roam

Describe the sea, the catch and what comes out at night. Roam builds it, and you tune the fear by talking.

Try: "fishing at night on a foggy lake, sell fish at dawn, something huge follows the boat after midnight"

Create it with Roam See Roam

Questions people ask

Is DREDGE scary?

It is more eerie than scary. The dread builds at night, but it is mostly a calm fishing game.

Is DREDGE on mobile?

Yes. It came to iPhone and Android in February 2025.

Is DREDGE multiplayer?

No. It is a single-player game. Webfishing and Sea of Thieves are fishing games to play with friends.