Imagine, if you will, a world where everything has gone spectacularly wrong. Since we’re talking about a video game that’ll probably be pretty easy for you. In Dreadmoor, published by Digital Vortex, the ocean didn’t just rise, it won. Seawater has swallowed civilization whole, chewing through wood, rusting metal into oblivion, and leaving behind a soggy graveyard of humanity’s bad decisions. It’s less “post-apocalypse” and more “post-everything.”
At its core, Dreadmoor is a fishing game. It’s not the beer-in-hand, lazy afternoon that you’re use to however. Those drunken days have been replaced with tense thalassophobic dread. Fishing is your lifeline, your paycheck, and occasionally your worst mistake.
The PAX demo I played dropped players into what can only be described as a nightmare swamp. Trees stretch upward on exposed, skeletal roots, forming natural stilts, while tall grasses choke the water into tight, claustrophobic channels. It’s the kind of place where you expect something to grab your ankle and eventually, something probably will.The world itself is a drowned mess born from some long-forgotten, definitely-human-caused catastrophe. Coastal regions? Gone. Inland areas? Also gone. What’s left are crooked, stilted structures barely clinging above the waterline like they’re reconsidering their life choices. Rust is everywhere, wood is rotting, and the whole place feels like it smells terrible, even through a screen.
Fish aren’t the only thing you’ll find in these dark waters. There’s salvage drifting across the surface ripe for snagging with your grappling hook. That scrap feeds directly into crafting and maintaining your weapons, which you’ll need when the ocean decides it’s tired of being harvested and sends something up to harvest you instead.
Out on the water, your trawler is your home, your toolbox, and your only real friend. Keeping it afloat and upgraded absolutely is essential. You’re not sticking with a starter rod for long unless you enjoy getting absolutely wrecked by something with too many teeth. Rods, reels, hooks, and lures can all be upgraded individually, letting you fine-tune your setup for whatever fresh horror you’re trying to haul in.
The demo mostly holds together where it counts. Movement feels solid, fishing is engaging, and the general gameplay loop gets its hooks in you early. There was one clunky generator minigame that felt unclear and a bit awkward, but not enough to sink the experience.
Dreadmoor is currently slated for release later this year and it’s definitely one to keep an eye on. If you’ve ever wanted a fishing game where the fish might fight back and the ocean actively resents your existence, congratulations. You’ve found your next bad decision.
