Gear-Gated Catches
Seeing a fish isn't enough; you need the right rod or net to land it.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- Design focus
- Progression · Planning · Spatial
No.240DREDGE01The core loop
Action → feedback → next choice- 01Find a new spot
- 02Learn your gear can't reach it
- 03Upgrade or swap gear
- 04Return and catch it
↻Feedback changes the situation — the next round starts from there.
Walk through one round
A simplified design example. Situations and numbers illustrate the mechanic, not exact rules from a reference game.
- T1
Turn 1 · The situation
The boat fits 2 gear pieces: coastal and shallow rods; a deep-water spot appears ahead.
- T2
Turn 2 · The player chooses
They return to port and swap the shallow rod for a deep one.
- T3
Turn 3 · The feedback
The deep spot opens, the first cast lands a valuable fish, though shallow spots get skipped.
- T4
Turn 4 · The next decision
The player starts saving to expand the hull's equipment slots.
How it plays
Different fish or waters require specific gear types, such as deep, shallow or trawl equipment. Gear often occupies limited boat or pack slots, so players choose what to bring. Gear progression pulls players into farther, riskier waters.
What the player weighs
- Pack many tools for coverage vs. keep room for the catch
- Invest in deep gear vs. upgrade engines for range
02Start small
Scope is an editorial estimate for the minimum prototype, not the reference game or a production schedule.
03One mechanic, different implementations
DREDGE
Spots are typed (coastal, oceanic, shallow, abyssal and so on), each requiring matching equipment, and gear takes grid space on the boat that competes with cargo.
Graveyard Keeper
Fishing requires obtaining and upgrading a rod, with better rods presumably unlocking more species or quality; I'm not certain about the exact gating.
The difference worth noticing
DREDGE binds gear gates to spatial management; Graveyard Keeper's feel more like a classic tech-tree upgrade.
Case notes are Yoroll editorial summaries; rules may change between versions.
04What could you combine?
Give gear a point budget per trip: 10 points total, with a deep rod costing 6, forcing a choice between coverage and specialization.
Prototype this combo in Yoroll→Follow the next idea
Where to Cast
Cast farther or more precisely and the same water yields different fish.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Read the water's surface
- 02Charge for distance
- 03Landing spot sets the odds
- 04Adjust from the results
Fish Pond Farming
Stock a home pond with your catch and it breeds and produces over time.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Stock a fish
- 02Wait for growth and yield
- 03Meet capacity requests
- 04Harvest, process, sell
Unlockable Fast-Travel Network
Each node you unlock makes the world a little smaller.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Discover a node
- 02Activate or pay for it
- 03Travel between nodes
- 04Plan farther expeditions