DREDGE Feature Film
Black Salt Games is an independent game development company based in New Zealand. Comprised of three passionate game developers and a talented studio manager, they aim to create unforgettable gaming experiences that captivate players worldwide. The company’s award-winning debut title, DREDGE, has received critical acclaim for its exceptional execution and distinctiveness. It showcases Black Salt’s commitment to creating innovative content that is both immersive and entertaining. DREDGE is a testament to the power of storytelling, artistry, and interactivity. With a desire to create something unique, but not so different that no one can relate to it, Black Salt Games sought to blend different genres to embrace the diversity of their audience and pique the interest of a wide range of demographics. Through the medium of a video game, they aim to evoke emotions, provoke introspection, and ignite the imagination of players.
DREDGE was released on all gaming platforms, March of 2023. Within the first 24 hours, the game sold 100K+ copies and has gone on to sell 1MM+ copies, collected 1MM+ streams of its chilling soundtrack and has garnered thousands of overwhelmingly positive reviews with a 10/10 rating. Furthermore, the game has received a 10/10 on GamesHub, GamingTrend, and a 9/10 from God is a Geek. Its first DLC, ‘The Pale Reach’, was released November 2023 to rave reviews. Their upcoming DLC, The Iron Rig, will be released in 2024.
On the accolades trail, DREDGE was nominated -out of the gate- for ‘Best Indie Game’ at the Golden Joystick Awards, ‘’Best Independent Game’ and ‘Best Debut Indie Game’ at The Game Awards, SXSW Sydney’s ‘Game of the Year’, IGN Winner, Time Nominee for ‘10 Best Video Games of the Year’. In 2024, DREDGE was a D.I.C.E Awards finalist, a BitSummit Winner, and nominated for 4 BAFTA's as well as Hugo and Nebula Awards
When Hollywood came knocking, Black Salt Games desired to accomplish the same with film audiences across the globe. They contacted Kehan and his production company, Blue Aeris, to consult and help navigate the daunting process of turning their successful IP into a feature film. Kehan aligned them with prominent industry entertainment law firm Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP in Los Angeles for legal representation. After navigating meetings and offers from several major production companies, a development deal was signed with Story Kitchen, a new media company founded by two of Hollywood’s most prominent Franchise visionaries, dj2 Entertainment founder and SONIC THE HEDGEHOG Film & TV Producer Dmitri M. Johnson and JOHN WICK writer/creator Derek Kolstad, as well as former APA agent/partner Mike Goldberg. Joined by their “Ninja Senior Exec Team”, Timothy I. Stevenson and Dan Jevons, Story Kitchen most recently have the game-to-TV adaptations of TOMB RAIDER and SPLINTER CELL in production at Netflix (as two-season orders), Sega’s TOEJAM & EARL and 2021 'Game of the Year', IT TAKES TWO (both at Amazon Studios), and STREETS OF RAGE adaptation set up at Lionsgate, as well as additional yet-to-be-announced partnerships.
The heart of DREDGE lies in the universal and haunting story it weaves. It taps into the depths of our collective consciousness, resonating with themes that touch us all. The tale transcends the boundaries of time and place, inviting each individual to reflect upon their own lives and find solace and understanding in the shared human experience.
As the sun sets on the horizon and darkness descends upon the seas, beware of what lies in wait. DREDGE challenges your perceptions, immersing you in a world where fear and uncertainty coexist with beauty and awe. Pushing the boundaries of exploration, the story ventures into the unfathomable depths. But be mindful of time slipping away, for the abyss may hold more than you bargained for in this voyage into the unknown, where the familiar becomes unfamiliar, and the haunting beauty of the deep awaits.
DREDGE Awards & Reviews
Launching March 30, 2023, the game has sold over a million units, propelling it to the top 1% of games sold on Steam (the largest PC platform) compared to 30,000 games released on Steam every week from Triple A to solo developers. The top countries for units sold were the U.S., Germany, the U.K., Canada, Australia and China respectively. Along with much critical acclaim, the company was lauded with many awards:
SXSW Sydney 2023 - Game Of The Year
The Develop:Star Awards 2023 - Best Small Studio
The PAVS 2023 (NZ Game Awards) - Grand Prize, Accessibility and Design Awards as well as finalists for Audio and Visal Art categories
IGN Awards 2023 - Best Indie Game
BitSummit - International Award
PC Gamer Awards 2023 - Best Setting
Yahtzee’s Top 5 Games of 2023
Steam Awards 2023 - Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game Finalists
The AIAS D.I.C.E. Awards 2024 - Outstanding Achievement for an Indie Game Finalist
The Game Awards 2023 - Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game Finalists
Steam Awards 2023 - Best Game on Steam Deck Finalist
Golden Joystick Awards 2023 (People's Gaming Awards) - Best Indie Game Nominee
20th BAFTA Games Awards - Debut Game, Game Design, Narrative and New Intellectual Property Awards Nominee
Hugo Awards 2024 - Best Game or Interactive Work Finalist
Nebula Awards 2024 - Best Game Writing Nominee
The London Games Festival 2023 - Official Selection
TIME Magazine‘s 10 Best Video Games of 2023
“One of the year’s most pleasant surprises came from NZ indie developer Black Salt Games. What initially appears to be a normal fishing game takes a disturbing dive into Lovecraftian lore... eye-catching art design, great use of sound, and an ambitious format built into seemingly simple gameplay make Dredge one to play and Black Salt Games one to watch.”
https://time.com/6340124/best-video-games-2023/
Forbes Best 16 Indie Games of 2023
“Dredge’s understated visuals, slow storytelling, and cheerless name might make you think it’s more of a drudge than anything else, but in a matter of minutes, it proves that appearances can be deceiving. In just a couple of hours, developer Black Salt Games – a four-person team from New Zealand – proves it has created something much more compelling than dozens of multi-million-dollar studios during 2023.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattgardner1/2023/12/29/the-16-best-indie-games-of-2023-ranked
Game Developer’s 2023 Wrap-Up: The best games of 2023
“One of the standout success stories of 2023. The eldritch fishing adventure is a vibrant seafood gumbo that combines Tetris-inspired inventory management, snappy angling minigames, and tense exploration to create a succulent, swirling emulsion that we couldn’t help but slurp down.”
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/game-developer-s-best-of-2023-the-best-games-of-the-year
Guardians Best 20 games of 2023
“It is quite frankly a scandal that we’ve had to wait this long for a Lovecraftian-style horror fishing simulator, but at last we have one. Dredge has you braving dark, cruel waves while trying to catch increasingly monstrous fish, then attempting to return safely to harbour. Absolutely sodden with eldritch atmosphere, it’s a game that captures the haunting, beautiful danger of the ocean.”
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/dec/18/the-20-best-video-games-of-2023
PC Gamer
“Dredge is a fantastically twisted fishing horror full of charm. It successfully reeled me in from start to finish. A beautifully dreary bite-sized mystery.”
https://www.pcgamer.com/best-setting-2023-dredge/
GamesHub
“Dredge is a masterclass in atmosphere, worldbuilding, tactile mechanics, and game flow. Like all good sinister stories, by the time you get to the end of the line you might wish you had never kept going. But in Dredge, it’s impossible not to.”
https://www.gameshub.com/news/reviews/dredge-game-review-2610549/
Gaming Trend
“Dredge is an indie horror gem that will be looked upon fondly by anyone with an affinity for adventure and mystery. Every part of the game is engaging and otherworldly, yet distinctly down to earth. From the charming low-polygraphics, to the deeply emotion-invoking soundtrack, to the heartfelt story, Dredge understands how to make the player feel immersed in its dark yet beautiful world.”
https://gamingtrend.com/feature/reviews/dredge-review-a-checkered-flag-of-red-and-white/
GamesRadar+
“An excellent realisation of a brilliant pitch, Dredge nails its core ideas and never strays too far from what makes it great. Progression means that later chapters struggle to maintain the early game’s impeccably creepy vibes, but this is still one of the tightest indie creations I’ve played in a long time.”
https://www.gamesradar.com/dredge-review/
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