DREADMOOR Beginner Tips & Tricks Guide
It's time to go fishing.
DREADMOOR is a Lovecraftian fishing adventure where players will explore open waters, visit various settlements, meet quirky NPCs, and gather resources to make a profit and upgrade their boat before the next quest.
If you're just getting started with the game, then it can take a while to get through learning the initial systems and working out your surroundings. Luckily, we've compiled a few handy beginner tips to help you gain the upper hand, all of which have been outlined in the guide below.
Use Up Fishing Spots Entirely
Fishing spots can be identified by circular splashes/ripples in the water, with ones in different areas offering various species of fish. When interacting with one to catch fish, you can back out at any time.
Instead of doing so, it is much more beneficial to continue fishing in the spot until all fish have been used up and it becomes unavailable - even if you have an objective to only catch a couple of them.
This is because fish are one of the most important resources in the game. They're not just used as trade or to complete quests; many of them can also be broken down into crafting materials or even fuel for your boat, meaning fish are key to maintaining a sense of progression and the core gameplay loop. Always ensure you're picking up any extra stragglers from each fishing spot, as they will go a long way!
Time Brief Releases of the Line When Reeling in a Catch
There are two different types of fish: peaceful and Predatory. Peaceful fish can be reeled in by simply casting near ripples and waiting for a bite, while Predatory fish require you to cast and slowly reel in, attracting a nearby fish with the movement.
When reeling in a fish, you need to pull your line in the opposite direction to where the fish is swimming, but doing so will raise your line tension. When your tension reaches the red bar, you need to release for a brief moment, or else the line will snap.
However, instead of pressing and holding until the tension bar reaches red and then releasing, you should aim to release briefly for a couple of seconds after a long button press, instead of continuing to hold. This helps you adjust more quickly and makes the overall time for reeling in each fish a bit quicker.
Always Farm Available Materials & Turn Extras into Resources Each Day
Even as you navigate the very first areas, there will be resources available to harvest. Items such as tires, rope, and scrap metal can be broken down with your tools or grabbed from stray benches, and then additional harvestable goods like bugs and coral become available.
Basically, if you're exploring an area and there's something you can grab, grab it. Everything goes back into crafting hooks and baits for fishing, fuel to get out and about, ship upgrades, and improving your tools.
Make sure you frequently farm everything in sight, and you'll have the freedom to turn your spare goods into important resources each day, ensuring constant progression. It's always a pain having to take the ship back out to go collect one more copy of a material, so stocking up in advance helps with this.
Unlock Recipes for Better Catches
As you begin to progress through the story, you will be able to unlock additional bait recipes from Gill and Bozur at their shop. Aim to unlock them as soon as possible, as these baits can help you discover legendary catches and provide access to new species of fish.
Once the blueprints have been unlocked, you will be able to use them for the rest of your playthrough to craft the bait in question.
Night Exploration is More Dangerous, But Can Lead to New Discoveries in the Same Areas
You can take your boat out for a nice cruising fishing trip during the day, but night also offers an opportunity for exploration if you have the health and the fuel to spare. Exploring at night can be particularly beneficial as there are nighttime-exclusive fish that can only appear after dark.
This means that revisiting an area you cleared out during the day after the sun has gone down may offer another round of opportunity. However, night is also more dangerous due to barriers such as restricted vision from fog and the threat of aggressive monstrosities in the water. Be safe out there, fisherman!