While Dredge may seem like a simple fishing simulator, it holds a deep secret like the vast ocean. As you go on by your day collecting fish, selling them, and upgrading your boat, you will learn about the protagonist’s story in parts. If you’ve reached the end or completed the game once, then you must be wondering what it meant. To help you out, we will explain the ending of Dredge and tell you how to get a good ending as well.
Note: Major Spoilers Ahead
How to Get the Good Ending in Dredge
For players who’ve finished Dredge or are at the final phase and want a good ending, this is how you can get it:
- Once you collect all five Relics, head to the island below Devil’s Spine region.
- Dock your boat and talk to the Old Mayor.
- Once he narrates the whole story, visit the Greater Marrow and talk to the Lighthouse Keeper.
- She will tell you a story and ask you to collect the Collector’s book.
- Head over to the Blackstone Isle and talk to the Collector. Make sure you select the “Conceal the Relic” option.
- Select options that disagree with the Collector which leads to you finally punching him.
- Once you do that, a shocking twist is revealed.
- Then, make sure you leave without handing the book and head to the Lighthouse Keeper.
- She will help you reach the final spot by keeping the beam of the Lighthouse on it (G-8 on Map).
- Once you reach the spot, choose the option to throw the book in the water.
This will trigger the end scene and the credits at the end. We’ve not explained all the parts yet since there are players who’d like to experience it firsthand.
How to Get the Bad Ending
Getting the bad ending in this Dredge is straightforward.
- Once you collect the Relics, head over to the Collector and hand them over.
- He will ask you to accompany him to a spot on the map.
- Follow the red beam of light and you will reach there.
- Then, press the prompted button once you see the question mark.
- This will trigger the final scene of the bad ending.
Since you know how to get both endings in Dredge, we will explain their meaning.
All Dredge Endings Explained
Bad Ending
The bad ending of Dredge features a woman being resurrected along with an elder god. During the credits, we notice that the town of Marrow is in ruins. Many players are wondering who that woman is and how she is connected to the story. To understand this ending, we must learn about the protagonist’s backstory.
At the beginning of the game, we do not know anything about the protagonist. As the game progresses, you can collect the messages in a bottle floating around the sea. These bottles tell the story of a couple who set off on a voyage on a boat.
Before the couple got married, the husband performed a ritual where he renamed the boat to his wife. As a part of this ritual, he threw all the things that were named after the old boat. However, the wife held on to one item which cast bad luck on them.
During the voyage, the couple, along with a few crew members, found a chest with the Crimson Book. This is the same book that The Collector carries indicating that he is the husband in the story. While returning from this expedition, the boat was attacked. During this attack, the wife was thrown overboard and the mayor lost his sanity.
According to the Crimson Book, collecting all Relics and throwing them back will resurrect the wife. This explains The Collector’s request to collect all the relics from the ocean. Once the protagonist hands him all the relics, the Collector takes him on a final voyage.
When they reach the spot, the Collector throws all relics and the Crimson Book into the ocean. This leads to his wife being resurrected along with the elder Cthulu-esque god. What we understand from this is that the Crimson Book was a tool from the god to resurrect itself back. It used the Collector’s love for his wife to do its bidding. When the elder god is resurrected, you will see that the Marrow is in ruins.
Good Ending
In the final scene of the good ending, a giant fish devours the boat along with the protagonist. While this may not seem like the ‘Good’ ending, we assure you that it is. In this ending, the protagonist faces the Collector and does not hand him the relics. When the protagonist tries to get the book, he punches him only to reveal that the Collector is a manifestation of his mind. Meaning, the Collector and the protagonist are the same.
After losing his wife, the protagonist creates the fictional Collector and asks him to erase his memory. The Collector with the power of the Crimson Book does so. However, the manifested Collector yearns for the deceased wife and tries to bring her back.
When the protagonist realizes this, he visits the old Mayor and the Lighthouse Keeper. They tell him of that fateful night and the power of the Crimson Book.
Realizing the book’s power, the protagonist stops the resurrection of the elder god by throwing the book into the ocean. Once he does that, a giant fish rises from the ocean and devours him. According to me, this giant fish might be the one who attacked the couple’s boat in the first place. And since the protagonist did not complete the ritual, it appeared to retrieve the book and wait for its next victim. However, the town of Marrow is safe.
We hope this explains all Dredge endings and how to get them. For more such content as the best upgrades, make sure you visit our Dredge Guides section.
