Dredge is a cozy game that I can recommend to anyone looking for a fun distraction, but I can’t say that it’s a memorable experience. I had a pleasant time exploring the little islands, getting to know the locals, and catching all kinds of eldritch-touched fish. However, mechanically it was an edgeless, frictionless game completely sanded down to its blandest form. Narratively it was a motley imitation of common Lovecraftian clichés. Even the spooky sea monsters felt more like nuisances than actual threats when they surfaced, because getting attacked or even killed only meant losing a few minutes of progress at most. With no stakes and no risks, there wasn’t much to get invested in.

Yet I enjoyed Dredge well enough. I have to admit, I think it was just the vibes. The stylish low poly art. The creepy little descriptions on the funny looking fish with names like “Cyclopean Flounder” and “Umbral Puppet.” Hits of endorphins that flooded my brain whenever the piano jingle congratulated me for my new fish. And oh look, the empty silhouette in the fish book was filled out with a pretty picture. Does this sound like a waste of time? Probably. Or a relaxing, pleasant evening? Sure.

For me, Dredge was a mix of those things. It was a fine game to have on a Steam Deck for my lazy evenings, but this mildly eldritch flavored fishing game only intensified my unfulfilled craving for a proper horror-fishing mashup. I think it’s a brilliant idea with a ton of design possibilities still untapped.

Subnautica was an incredible adventure full of discovery and thrill, accentuated by an intense, almost terrifying sense of wonder that I hadn’t experienced from any other game until Outer Wilds came along. The complex and naturally hostile planet 4546B made me feel completely insignificant and alien in its deep, expansive waters. With minimal guidance from the game itself, I only had my own curiosity and observations to help me progress, and as I went deeper, I fell in love with this seemingly ordinary survival crafting game that kept subverting and exceeding all my expectations.

The survival crafting mechanics were enjoyable, and I’ll always be proud of my ridiculously lavish underwater mansion by the Aurora, but it wasn’t actually the main strength of the game. It was good to have for subtle direction and mechanical progression, but If this isn’t a genre for you, I’d recommend just playing in freedom or creative mode. And no one should bother with the “hardcore” mode at all since the game is too unstable and buggy for that. Fortunately, there is so much more to Subnautica than just mining rocks and catching fish to live another day, and it’s best to discover those for yourself.