Best Upgrades to Get First in DREDGE

Delve into the deep darkness of the unknown and discover what no man has yet to find – what lurks deep below the Ocean’s surface. Play as a fisherman, looking to make his living off the regular catching of fish. As you begin the game you learn that the protagonist’s previous Boat had been destroyed, I wonder what caused this? Whilst some may think this is just a simple fishing simulator, it is far from it. Be the brave and curious explorer and explore the world’s Ocean, uncovering its darkest secrets. Do not get too excited however, for punishment is just around the corner for those who are too curious. Make sure that you keep your goods upgraded, especially that Boat of yours for its integrity will keep you afloat. This is our guide on the best upgrades to get early in DREDGE.

How to Get Upgrades in DREDGE

In order to upgrade your items in DREDGE, you need to fish. Fishing is the primary focus in this Horror Game, being the main gameplay mechanic of DREDGE. Every day you must go out and fill your Cargo Hold with fish, moving and rotating your catch to fit its corresponding slots into the Hold so you do not leave any gaps by the end of your shift. Once you have filled the Cargo, you should dock to end the day and sell your catch to the Fishmonger. This will reward you with money and of course, the bigger the catch, the higher the payday. But with every catch you sell, you are required to give a percentage back to the Town and paying off your Loan as your original Boat has been destroyed by damage taken from the great unknown prior to your involvement in the game.

As money will not be flooding into your account, you will need to be strategic in what you purchase as your first upgrade. Whether you want your focus to be on earning money fast, or to dive further into the Ocean’s secrets by venturing into the darkness and fishing at night, this choice will determine what you decide to upgrade in DREDGE.

Related: How to Get Rich Quickly in DREDGE.

What Upgrades are Available?

In DREDGE there are many upgrades available, from your Boat’s Hull and Cargo Hold to your Fishing Rod. Within this however, there are multiple ways in which players need to be aware of how to specifically upgrade in the game. If you want to upgrade your Boat, you need to head into the Dry Dock. This can be selected within your Home Town of Greater Marrow. For Fishing Rod upgrades, you need to select the ‘Research’ icon above your Boat. This will open a new screen to show Rod upgrades. But this is not the only thing available for upgrades via research, you can also upgrade the Engine, Pots and Nets to further your fishing goal.

In order to upgrade any items under Research, you need Research Parts. Finally, you can head over to the Shipwright to purchase new gear such as new Fishing Rods or Engine parts so that you can get a quick upgrade via the use of cash. Most Upgrades require Materials. These are also found through fishing, so when you are fishing during the day be sure to look out for bubbles on the surface that show objects rather than the silhouette of fish.

Best Upgrades to Purchase Early

The choice of upgrades will determine what kind of playthrough you want to focus on. Whether you want to be the great explorer who wants to dive straight in, exploring what goes on within the waters when the sun goes down, or if you want to play for the coin. Focus your attention on catching fish, living day-by-day and selling your load in order to gain the most money possible. Whilst the goal may be the same, to uncover the Ocean’s secrets, the route to get to it is very different.

If you want to get money quickly, we highly recommend that you put your upgrades into a new Fishing Rod first. As you will be spending the majority of your gameplay within Day Fishing and hitting those Fishmonger Requests, having a Rod that can catch larger fish will help you greatly for the beginning portion of DREDGE. Therefore, we recommend purchasing the Weighted Rod from the Shipwright which costs $150.

On the other hand, if you want to become the explorer that I know you do, you should focus on your Boat. This is crucial to your survival at night and uncovering those dark secrets. For this reason, you will likely want to improve your Engine first with the ‘Improved Outboard Engine’. This requires Research Parts which are obtainable by seeing your Pursuits through. You should also focus your attention to the Shipwright to save for the Tier 2 Hull which will cost you a whopping $500. But getting this early will help you survive out in sea for longer periods of time, including fishing for mysteries at night when you are putting yourself most at risk to damage.

Those were our recommendations of the best upgrades to get first in DREDGE. For other Horror Game content, please check out Gamer Journalist if you are interested in other games aside from the horrifying journey of fishing. As always, thank you for reading!