DREDGE vs Black Mirror
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DREDGE
Captain a fishing trawler to explore remote islands and their depths, selling catches and completing quests to uncover secrets. Upgrade your boat and research equipment to reach new areas, but beware of the dangers lurking in the dark.
- Explore remote islands and depths
- Catch and sell over 125 sea creatures
- Complete quests and uncover secrets
- Upgrade boat with researchable equipment
- Navigate treacherous waters
- Survive encounters in the dark
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*TRY BEFORE YOU BUY* Play the first area for free. One-time purchase unlocks the base game. DLC expansions available as additional in-app purchases. Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrounding depths, to see what lies below. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Outfit your boat with better equipment to trawl deep-sea trenches and navigate to far-off lands, but keep an eye on the time. You might not like what finds you in the dark... Explore the Islands & Discover their Secrets Starting from your new home in the remote archipelago, ‘The Marrows’, take to the water and scour the depths for curious collectables and over 125 deep sea denizens. Explore each area while completing quests and visiting neighboring island regions – each with their own unique opportunities, inhabitants, and secrets. Dredge the Depths Someone wants you to dig up the past, but can you trust them and will it ever be enough? Beware the Fog Danger is everywhere, so watch for sharp rocks and shallow reefs, though the biggest threats of all lurk within the fog that cloaks the night-time seas... Game Features: - Unravel a Mystery: Captain your fishing trawler across a collection of remote islands, each with its own inhabitants to meet, wildlife to discover, and stories to unearth. - Dredge the Depths: Scour the sea for hidden treasures and complete quests to gain access to strange new abilities - Study Your Craft: Research special equipment and upgrade your boat’s capabilities to gain access to rare fish and valuable deep-sea curios. - Fish to Survive: Sell your discoveries to the locals to learn more about each area, and upgrade your boat to reach even more secluded locations. - Fight the Unfathomable: Strengthen your mind and use your abilities to survive trips out on the water after dark.
Black Mirror
Experience a retro virtual pet simulation inspired by a "Black Mirror" episode. Hatch, evolve, and care for digital creatures that multiply and unlock new features. Your interactions reveal insights about yourself and humanity.
- Retro virtual pet simulation
- Hatch and evolve hundreds of creatures
- Creatures multiply and form a 'Throng'
- Unlock new tools and abilities through evolution
- Personality test based on your interactions
- Share personality results with friends
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NETFLIX MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED. Cross over into the world of "Black Mirror" and experience "Thronglets," the retro virtual pet simulation at the center of the Season 7 episode "Plaything." These pixel art critters won't just take over your phone; they could take over your life. "Thronglets" was originally developed in the 1990s as experimental software by legendary Tuckersoft programmer Colin Ritman ("Metl Hedd," "Nohzdyve," "Bandersnatch"). This isn't a game; it's a life-form whose biology is entirely digital. No emulator required. MORE THAN A PET SIMULATION Hatch and evolve hundreds of cute creatures: Thronglets! Feed, bathe and entertain them to watch them multiply. One becomes two, two becomes four, and so on. Soon there will be so many you'll call them a Throng. VIRTUAL EVOLUTION As Thronglets evolve, so does the simulation, unlocking new tools, abilities, items and buildings — and much, much more. You may be surprised by your Thronglets! Evolve Thronglets at your own risk. TEST YOUR PERSONALITY Thronglets are curious and love to learn. Your actions and choices within this virtual world teach the Throng about you — and all of humankind. Once you've completed the experiment, share your personality test results to compare with friends on social media. >> HELLO? >> CAN YOU HEAR US? >> What is care? What is love? >> What is death? What is power? >> Do you have power? >> Why do you use your power in that way? >> Perhaps it is a fault in your design. - Created by Night School, a Netflix Game Studio.
Screenshots
Verdict
DREDGE and Black Mirror both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of Black Mirror's written reviews are positive against 60% of DREDGE's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. DREDGE sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Black Mirror sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for DREDGE against 4.5 for Black Mirror. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 580 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of DREDGE's written reviews are positive against 74% of Black Mirror's.
DREDGE ships an update every 3 weeks, Black Mirror every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DREDGE | Black Mirror |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (1.1K ratings) | 4.5 (580 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 59.9% of reviews | 74.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 580 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 768 MB | 409 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Black Salt Games | Netflix, Inc. |
Customer experience
DREDGE
Black Mirror
User reviews
DREDGE
From 1.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great game
- 🚀 Excellent port to mobile
- 🎮 Supports controllers
- 🎨 Stunning graphics
- 🕹️ Intuitive controls
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive for a mobile game
- 🔍 Misleading 'free' description
- 📱 Text/UI too small on phones
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🎮 Controller support needs improvement
Black Mirror
From 580 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Fun and original game
- 👍 Thoughtful and sincere
- 👍 Emotional aspect hits hard
- 👍 Allows for different outcomes and replayability
Room to improve
- 🐛 Major glitches and gameplay freezes
- 🔒 Requires Netflix account to play
- 🔒 Doesn't allow guest access
Bugs and requests
DREDGE
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes on startup
- Controller issues
- Inventory/menu navigation problems
Requested features
5 requests- Larger text and UI options
- Cross-save between devices
- More content and DLC
- Minimap or navigation aids
- Ability to walk around boat/town
Black Mirror
Reported bugs
3 issues- Gameplay freezes and unable to interact with items
- Rock cannot be moved
- Audio not working
Requested features
3 requests- Sandbox mode to continue growing the Thronglets
- AI and text chat bot option
- Ability for Thronglets to fart in unison or sing songs
In-app purchases
DREDGE
- Blackstone Key$0.49
- Blackstone Key$0.99
- The Pale Reach$2.39
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- The Iron Rig$4.79
- The Pale Reach$5.99
- Base Game Unlock$9.99
- The Iron Rig$11.99
- Base Game Unlock$24.99
Black Mirror
- Netflix Standard Plan$19.991 Month









