Advertising disclosure: This page includes affiliate links and Google ads. We may earn a commission on purchases through these links. Commissions do not affect our editorial opinions.
Affiliate links to Rakuten Japan. Listed prices are indicative; check the retailer for current prices.
DREDGE
🌊 Endings
DREDGE has a standard ending and a secret ending. Both revolve around the five relics, with the final choice determining the outcome.
⚠️ This page contains story spoilers; the final presentation is left undisclosed.
🔀 Comparing the two endings
🔓 Standard ending
The Collector's Ending
Requirements
Collect the five relics and give them to the Collector.
Overview
The outcome reached by handing over all relics at the Collector’s request. It brings the story to a conclusion without fully exploring the truth of the relationship between the fisherman and Collector.
🔒 Secret ending
The True Ending
Requirements in outline
Collect the five relics → meet the Old Mayor → speak to the Lighthouse Keeper → throw the Book of the Deep received from the Collector back into the sea at the specified coordinates (“Throw it back”).
Overview
The fisherman recognizes the Collector as his own reflection or projection and relinquishes the book. This ending addresses the story’s themes of memory and loss. Its final presentation is left undisclosed.
🪨 The five relics
There are five relics: a key, music box, ring, necklace and pocket watch. Obtain them through regional Pursuits or events. Returning them to the Collector unlocks abilities such as Haste, Manifest, Banish and Atrophy in sequence.
There is no sixth special relic called a “Dark Relic.”
1Key
Key
Obtained through regional Pursuits or events. Returning it to the Collector unlocks an ability.
2Music box
Music Box
Obtained by progressing a regional event. Return it to unlock an ability.
3Ring
Ring
Obtained by progressing a regional event. Return it to unlock an ability.
4Necklace
Necklace
Obtained by progressing a regional event. Return it to unlock an ability.
5Pocket watch
Pocket Watch
Obtained by progressing a regional event. Return it to unlock an ability.
🎯 Secret ending: outline of the steps
1
Collect the five relics
Progress regional Pursuits or events to collect the key, music box, ring, necklace and pocket watch. Returning relics unlocks abilities.
2
Meet the Old Mayor
Speak to the Old Mayor at a small dock on an uninhabited island near P-10 in the southern part of the map. He is important to understanding the story.
3
Speak to the Lighthouse Keeper
Speak to the Lighthouse Keeper at Greater Marrow about the Collector’s identity.
4
Keep a save before the branch
To see both endings, preserve a save before the final choice. Whether you can copy it to a separate slot depends on your platform’s save features; that in-game operation has not been verified.
5
Throw back the Book of the Deep
At the specified coordinates, G-8, choose “Throw it back” to cast the Collector’s book into the sea and reach the secret ending. Its presentation is left undisclosed.
❓ Ending FAQ
Q1. How do the standard and secret endings differ?
Collecting all five relics and giving them to the Collector leads to the standard ending. For the secret ending, collect the relics, speak to the Old Mayor and Lighthouse Keeper to uncover the truth, then throw the Book of the Deep received from the Collector back into the sea at the specified coordinates.
Q2. Where are the relics?
Each of the five regions is connected to one relic, obtained through its Pursuits or events. Returning relics to the Collector unlocks abilities such as Haste, Manifest, Banish and Atrophy in sequence. Check your journal to track collection.
Q3. Can I see the secret ending after the standard one?
Keep a save before the final branch to check both endings. A common approach is to see the standard ending first, reload, then pursue the Old Mayor and Lighthouse Keeper events for the secret ending. An in-game copy-to-slot function has not been verified; check the save options available on your platform.
Q4. Who is the Collector? (Spoilers)
Major story spoiler: near the end, the Collector is implied to be a reflection or projection of the fisherman. The book has distorted his memories. This page leaves the final presentation undisclosed.
