How to get the secret ending in Dredge

Dredge's multiple endings, explained.

Image via Team17

Dredge is an adventure horror game developed by Team17, released across both PC and most consoles. In Dredge, players assume the role of a fisherman who crashed along the shores of a town called Greater Marrow with no memory of their past voyage.

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Players then work for the town to pay off the loan to purchase a new boat, uncovering the mysteries of the island along the way.

Early into your playthrough, players will encounter a figure named the Collector. This esoteric figure will task the player with retrieving and delivering a wide array of ominous trinkets. The Collector’s plotline is the main questline of Dredge, progressing players to the game’s eventual conclusion.

Dredge has two separate endings. The ‘bad’ ending works at the game’s primary conclusion most players will encounter, but with the correct knowledge players can unlock the secret ‘good’ ending.

If you are trying to unlock the good ending in Dredge, this is what you need to do.

Dredge’s ‘Bad’ Ending, explained

Before explaining how to get the good ending, it is important to explain how so many players end up getting the ‘bad’ ending. To get the bad ending, players only need to follow the Collector’s orders and deliver him the various objects he requires.

Given the Collector is the primary quest giver of the series and is the character that pushes the plot, alongside our fisherman, most players are willing to fulfill the Collector’s request. After handing over the necessary relics, the fisherman’s deceased wife, along with an Eldritch monster, are both revived. The archipelagos are soon engulfed in flames and we can only assume that we helped in ending the world.

How to get the ‘Good’ Secret Ending in Dredge

In order to avoid this cataclysm initiated by the Collector, players still need complete most of the Collector’s objective. After collecting the five relics, players will not deliver the final relic and instead keep the item and take the Red Book from the collector.

To ensure you are on track to receive the good ending, follow all the steps below:

  • Obtain all five Relics for the Collector
  • Sail to the southern part of the Devil’s Spine (p10)
  • Station your ship at the nearby dock
  • Speak to the Old Mayor
  • Go back to Greater Marrow and ask the Lighthouse Keeper about the Red Book
  • Ask the Lighthouse Keeper more about the Red Book whenever prompted
  • Venture to Blackstone and speak with the Collector, make sure to choose to conceal the Relic whenever prompted.
  • Asked him to tell you more about the book.
  • Whenever the option appears, step closer and take the Red Book.
  • Go back to the Lighthouse Keeper
  • Sail to the marked location on the map (g8)
  • Select the Throw it Back option

While in the bad ending the fisherman never realizes the truth behind the Collector’s plans, the good ending sees players realize the figure’s true goal of resurrecting an ancient god.

Author
Image of Blaine Polhamus
Blaine Polhamus
Staff Writer for Dot Esports. Avid gamer for two decades and gaming writer for three years. I'm a lover of anything Souls-like since 2011. I cover everything from single-player RPGs to MMOs.