15 Games That Overcame the Odds to Become Successful

Dredge

Someone at Black Salt Games must have posited, “What if fishing but also cosmic horror?” before making Dredge. As a concept, it sounds like a perfect match. Many people liked fishing games, so why not insert horror into it? A compelling art style that mixed the calm with the supernaturally uncomfortable further drew people in.

However, this is one of those concepts that could have failed for several reasons. Maybe the fishing wasn’t fun, or the horror was poorly executed. There may be too much management and grinding. And while some concerns remain, Dredge did well with its core concepts. It’s almost reminiscent of Strange Horticulture – some fun gameplay with enough things to collect, but with a compelling story and world that draws you in without letting up.

Dredge received positive reviews from critics, with +80 Metascores across Xbox Series X, PC, PS5 and Nintendo Switch, not to mention an Overwhelmingly Positive score on Steam.