Dredge Fans May Have New Fish to Fry

Summary

Blue Prince has quickly gained attention and high praise, and is currently the highest-rated title of 2025.
The title shares a number of elements with Dredge, combining niche genres with gorgeous presentation to offer a similarly fresh and engaging experience.
Fans of Dredge should thus try out Blue Prince, currently available on PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass.

Dredge was a surprise hit back in 2023, quickly becoming one of the most celebrated indie titles for its unique ideas and gameplay. Equal parts cozy sailing simulator and tragic Lovecraftian tale, developer Black Salt Games' debut captured the interest of many fans and went on to be nominated for Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards that year. Now, another title in the same vein has surfaced: Blue Prince, from creator and designer Tonda Ros' studio, Dogubomb. Like Dredge before it, Blue Prince is a breath of fresh air, combining two seemingly disparate genres to create a new and highly engaging experience.

Released just recently on April 10, Blue Prince may have initially been missed due to its lower-profile. But in the brief time since it's been out, it has already attracted much attention and praise, notably becoming 2025's highest-rated title at the moment, sitting at a 91 aggregate score on OpenCritic. Blue Prince's vision and design align closely with Dredge's in many respects, making it a title that fans of the latter should definitely be interested in playing.

Blue Prince is currently available on PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium as well as Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Microsoft recently announced that Dredge will be added to Game Pass Ultimate and Standard on May 6.

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By J. Scott Thurlow

Why Dredge Fans Should Sink Their Teeth Into New Roguelike Puzzle Title, Blue Prince

Blue Prince Contains Many Similar Vibes to Dredge

In terms of story, both titles' narratives are framed around a central mystery that only deepens the further fans explore and uncover more within the world. In Dredge' s case, the unassuming amnesiac fisherman that players control is searching for his lost love, slowly unraveling the tale of what happened to her and what caused him to lose his memories. Along the way, he encounters unnatural occurrences and wildlife not of the normal world.

Blue Prince sees young Simon Jones inheriting the elegant estate of Mount Holly from his granduncle Herbert. But before he can fully claim it, Simon must reach Room 46, a strange part of the house that sits locked away at its very top. As players endeavor to do so, though, they stumble upon more of Mt. Holly's storied history and the actions of Simon's family members that shaped it.

Their gameplay mechanics also strongly resemble each other. Much like how fans must manage their trusty boat in Dredge, making sure to upgrade its capabilities in the service of weathering more dangerous waters and hauling in more valuable (and often disturbingly mutated) sea creatures, Blue Prince tasks players with building the right setup and solving a series of linked puzzles to get to the enigmatic room while likewise unlocking various items and upgrades that allow them to progress into more difficult territory.

The catch is that each new day finds the mansion's configuration reset, akin to a roguelike escape room. Finding new blueprints of rooms to draft, some of which make things easier (and some harder) along with certain randomly appearing key items, forms the core Blue Prince's loop. Both games require smart use of grid-based systems and careful planning to attain their goals.

Dredge and Blue Prince also have charming and serene art styles along with alluring atmospheres that compliment their designs and presentations incredibly well. With calming yet surreal soundscapes, both alternate between relaxing and tense, creating experiences that are unlike many others in a similar fashion.

Blue Prince Could Find Itself Alongside Dredge As a Modern Indie Classic

With their striking styles and clever mechanics that are easy to grasp but require thoughtful management, Blue Prince and Dredge are two fantastic cozy games with nontraditional takes on genre mashups. With the buzz surrounding Blue Prince, it has a great chance to find itself as this year's Dredge, and anyone who enjoyed the latter owes it to themselves to delve into it and see why.

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