Dreadcast

A horror fishing survival game set in the Deep Woods of the lost frontier.

Feed the fire. Feed the beast. Feed yourself.

Dreadcast is a single-player horror fishing game where survival hangs by a thread — or, rather, a line. Stranded deep in the forgotten woods of the lost frontier, with nothing but your rod, your dog Rufus, and a chained wagon that groans in the dark, you must make it through the night one catch at a time.

But you can’t feed everyone.

Every fish you pull from the black river is a choice:

• Feed yourself, and stave off the creeping madness.

• Feed Rufus, and he’ll keep the forest things at bay.

• Feed the Being, and maybe the wagon will hold a little longer.

Survive the full 3-minute night cycle, and you'll see another sunrise. 

Gameplay Features

• Survive 3 minutes in one eerie, fire-lit camp nestled deep in the woods.

• Catch fish using a tense, reflex-driven fishing mini-game.

• Ration each catch between three mouths:

  • You — Let your hunger drop, and you'll lose yourself to the dark.

  • Rufus — Neglect him, and the monsters close in.

  • The Being — Ignore its growls, and it’ll rip through the wagon.

• Relic Fishing – Haul strange and valuable trinkets from the river’s depths.

• Wandering Curio Shopkeeper – Spend your relics each morning at his twisted camp. Buy gear to survive longer, keep the darkness at bay, and glimpse deeper truths.

Controls

• WASD – Move around the campsite

• E – Interact with fire, Rufus, the wagon, fishing, and shop

• Left Mouse Button – Cast and reel: hold to move the indicator into the box, then keep it there until the fish is caught

What's Next (Post-Jam Updates)

• Full Voice-Over System – Fragments of memory, regret, and cryptic truth — spoken aloud during the night

• New Fishing Locations – Push further into the river’s reach and discover deeper horrors

• Expanded Lore & Worldbuilding – More secrets, more characters, more dark corners of the Deep Woods

• Idle Fishing Mode – A calm, daytime experience to fish, collect, and reflect — without the night pressing in

Credits

Made in a handful of days by a solo dev at Inqdrop Studios for Cause Jam 2025