DREDGE is an impressively well-done, fun, and relaxed exploration game with mystery elements. Every part of it is very polished. I deliberately used the word "mystery" instead of "horror" because, let's be honest: these scary parts are more akin to kids' cartoons than something truly creepy or unsettling. Still, it has its charm and adds some flavor to the main course, which is fishing and exploring. The archipelago where the game is set is small but charming, and in every direction, there is something new to discover.
At first, I was afraid this game would be too repetitive and grindy for my taste—it can feel a bit overwhelming at the beginning when new mechanics and unlockables are introduced—but I soon realized it's not really the case. There is no pressure whatsoever, and everyone can play at their own pace. No need to worry about ever running out of time or money: you don't have to buy fuel, water, or pay for rent, etc. Even if that were the case, there's an infinite amount of fish everywhere. If anything, I've spent too much time dawdling in the early areas, I guess, because I had my ship fully upgraded by halfway through the game, and then there was not much left to do other than clearing side quests and following the main storyline. Sure, there are over a hundred species to discover and catch, but unless you're a hardcore completionist or achievement hunter, there's not much reason to do so, especially since you don't have anything to spend money on in the late game other than occasional repairs.
It runs fantastically on potato-powered PCs and takes under 1 GB of disk space. It's better optimized than many 2D pixel art games these days.
I guess my only gripe that doesn't allow me to call it a truly remarkable game is that the story and characters are rather forgettable, and the endings could be a bit more fleshed out. Side missions also often seem intriguing at first glance, but in the end, most of them turn out to be nothing but simple fetch quests with not much background.