Dredge endings explained how to get all game endings and outcomes

A quiet fishing trip in Dredge can spiral into madness as choices shape not only your fate but the sea itself. Each ending peels back another layer of the void lurking beneath the waves-revealing what your actions truly summoned.

[Ed. note: This guide has spoilers for Dredge‘s two endings.]

Dredge‘s “bad” ending is essentially the default, the one that most players will stumble upon without knowing there’s any other option. Looking to force either of these endings? Here’s how you’ll do it.

How to get the “bad” – or default – ending in Dredge

Collect all five relics during the main story and deliver them to the Collector at the Ruined Mansion on Blackstone Isle to complete his pursuit. He marks a spot west of Greater Marrow on your map; sail there and interact with the red pillar of light in the water. This triggers the default sequence where the Collector performs a ritual at the site of your wife’s death, summoning catastrophe as credits roll.

To get Dredge‘s bad ending, you’ll simply have to do as the Collector says: Find and bring him the five lost relics strewn throughout the ocean and its different archipelagos.

Once you’ve got them all, you’ll have to return to the Collector (who lives on Blackstone Island in the mansion). He’ll give you the option to move forward to the end of the game; there’s a warning that there’s no turning back from it. If you choose to move forward, he’ll mark a location on the map, but you should be able to see a red pillar of light emerging from the depths on the sea, too. Steer the ship there and interact with the pillar of light.

How to get the “good,” secret ending in Dredge

Collect all five Relics through the main quests. Sail to the island south of Devil’s Spine at coordinates P-10 to meet the Old Mayor, who reveals key details about the Collector. Return to the Collector on Blackstone Isle, withhold the final Relic, demand the Book from him, and select “Step Closer” to claim it. Head back to the Lighthouse Keeper, confirm readiness, then voyage to G-8 and cast the Book into the sea for the good outcome.

The good ending still requires you to grab all five relics at the Collector’s request, but instead of bringing the last one to him, you’ll keep it and take the red book from him. (You can skip the Old Mayor, by the way, and just start resisting the Collector, but it’s harder to understand the story.) Here’s what to do to understand the whole story:

1. You’ll sail to an unnamed island near Devil’s Spine, at the northeastern side of the map. The small island is south of Devil’s Spine at the P10 coordinates on the map.
2. Sail around the island until you find a dock to stop at. There’s a guy there, the old mayor of The Marrows.
3. Talk to him and he’ll start revealing the truth of the matter, and he tells you to go to the Lighthouse Keeper.
4. Go back to Greater Marrow to see her and she’ll tell you about the book and the secrets of the Collector.
5. Return to the Collector and get the book from him. He’ll resist a few times, but keep asking for the book.
6. When you get to the Step Closer prompt, press that and then take the book.
7. Then return to the Lighthouse Keeper who will guide you to a different spot, G8, on the map – the lighthouse is illuminating the spot.

Dredge’s endings, explained

Dredge offers two main endings that hinge on what you do with the Crimson Book and how much you’ve uncovered about the Collector’s identity. If you follow his instructions, hand over all five Relics, and sail to the marked coordinates, he performs a ritual to resurrect your wife that instead drags an ancient god from the depths and triggers an apocalypse, leaving the islands swallowed by darkness. The alternate “good” ending opens up only after you meet the Old Mayor and speak with the Lighthouse Keeper, which lets you confront the Collector, reclaim the Book he’s been holding, and sail alone to cast it back into the sea. A colossal creature then rises and devours both the Fisherman and the Book, but its sacrifice lifts the curse, clears the fog, and restores calm to the archipelago, suggesting that saving everyone else costs you your life.

In the bad “default” ending, the Collector and the fisherman are using the relics to bring the dead wife back to life, which sort of happens, but a horrible monster is also revived – probably the Collector’s actual goal. This is basically the end of the world, and the surrounding islands go up in flames and everyone dies. Whoops!

In the good “secret” ending, you throw the book back when prompted, wait a bit and you and the book will get chomped up by a big sea monster.

Wait, what?

Are you confused? Let me explain. The game starts with the fisherman winding up at Greater Marrow with no memory. That’s because his memory was wiped, maybe by the power of the book. But the events that led up to that moment was what you uncover throughout the game: The fisherman’s wife and him were sailing the seas together and found the red book. A monster attacked the boat when they found it, and it was so horrific that the Old Mayor fled to that abandoned island while the Lighthouse Keeper stayed.

The book created the Collector to point the fisherman toward the relics and unlocking the evil powers of the ocean – that huge monster that sets flames upon the area. The Collector, you realize, is a reflection of the fisherman himself. In the bad ending, the woman floating above the sea is his wife, brought back to life with the sea monster. My theory is that the fisherman doesn’t realize the Collector is a reflection of his own mind in the “bad” ending.

How to get The Pale Reach DLC ending

Dredge: The Pale Reach DLC features a single, self-contained ending focused on freeing trapped souls and confronting a massive Narwhal threat in its icy biome. It takes about 1-1.5 hours and doesn’t affect the base game’s conclusion.

Prerequisites

Upgrade at Bleak Pontoon (I, -1) with an Ice Rod for fishing and complete the Icebreaker Pursuit by gathering three parts from Icy Worksite quests.​

This unlocks travel under ice; install the Radiant Trawl Net afterward for aberrations.​

Main Steps

Collect four Ice Axes by dredging spots marked by a mystical figure near Central Camp, Western Bearing, Eastern Terminus, and Southern Locus.

Use them to break Ice Shards at those sites, revealing Frozen Hearts inside each.

Insert the Hearts into the frozen Rock Slab at K, -4 to summon and release the Narwhal’s spirit.​

Narwhal Confrontation

Sail to the designated spot to battle the Narwhal; free souls of a trapped crew by completing related Pursuits (e.g., Under the Ice, Figure in White).

As each soul is freed, the Narwhal closes an eye; with the last one, its golden horn crumbles, leading to eternal slumber or death.

Outcome

The Pale Reach is pacified-you can leave or keep exploring for loot like aberrations and upgrades. Catch the Colossal Squid Aberration post-ending if desired.

What rewards do you get after Pale Reach ending

Dredge: The Pale Reach DLC rewards you primarily with powerful equipment upgrades upon completing its main story, centered on the “Under the Ice” Pursuit. These items enhance fishing and exploration in the icy region.​

Key Rewards

The standout reward is the Radiant Trawl Net, obtained after inserting the four Frozen Hearts into the Rock Slab altar at K, -4, which summons the Narwhal spirit. This net catches Ice, Coastal, Oceanic, and Shallow aberrations efficiently, with radiant strands and ice spikes.​

You also unlock the Icebreaker earlier via parts from Icy Worksite quests, enabling under-ice travel, and the Ice Fishing Rod for new species.​

Additional Benefits

Post-ending, the area pacifies-no more Narwhal threats-allowing safe access to loot like the Colossal Squid Aberration (using the new net). Achievements/trophies pop for completion, and Pursuits like “Figure in White” yield more aberrations.​

Side quests provide minor materials or fish, but the net is the core prize, best for mid-game progression despite some debate on its power curve.​​