With its unassuming name and completely chill gameplay loop, Dave the Diver took the world by storm in 2023. The idea is simple: you dive, gather fish, and then serve them at a restaurant. I had played adventure and simulators before, even in combination, but Dave the Diver did it in a way that injected a ton of personality into nearly every facet of the game.

As a newcomer to a mysterious region known as the Blue Hole, you’ll discover the mysteries of the sea alongside Dave himself, which makes everything that much more exciting. People really resonated with it, which is why it has a 90 rating on Metacritic. You can also pick it up on sale for 40% right now, a discount that also extends to its DLC.

What Dave The Diver Is All About

Dip Dive And Dodge

Dave the Diver originally debuted in June 2023 on PC, and took over the conversation in many gaming circles immediately. Since then, it launched on Switch later that year and on PlayStation platforms in 2024. What I love most about it is how quickly everything kicks off. The skippable intro cutscene is only a few minutes long, then it’s off to the races. The tutorial only takes another minute, and before long, you’re exploring the inner workings of the sea and grabbing materials, as well as discovering new types of fish.

As you can imagine, it’s an addictive game loop that keeps you coming back for more. The supporting cast introduces new idiosyncrasies, narrative bits come to light, and the world springs to life. It’s a fascinating game in the sense that it’s very easy to play, but has a lot of…depth. The first time I booted it up, I couldn’t stop playing it just to see what would happen next.

Dave The Diver Deserves More Love

It’s About To Get A New Audience On Epic

Regardless of the debate on whether or not Dave the Diver should have been up for an “indie” award (given that it came from a subsidiary of Nexon, a massive conglomerate based in Korea), it’s still a phenomenal game, and something that’s persisted in the public eye for several years. Whenever I see modern game roundups, Dave the Diver is typically at the head of the pack, but I’ve still met a ton of people who haven’t played this classic.

Interestingly enough, Dave the Diver just hit the Epic Games storefront, which should showcase the game to an entirely new audience. Additionally, it opens the door for a potential free Epic Games promo in the future. There are also several DLC packs, including a crossover with the Like a Dragon Series (Ichiban’s Holiday), a Digital Extra add-on (which includes little bonuses like boat skins), a Dredge content pack, and a now delisted Godzilla combo.

More Content Is Coming To Dave The Diver

There’s A Story DLC Coming

Dave’s journey isn’t over yet, either. Given the game’s massive success, developer Mintrocket isn’t keen to stop there. On top of a string of free updates and those aforementioned existing paid continuations, a story DLC is coming later in 2025, as well as future spinoffs (and very likely, a sequel). Minirocket developer Jaeho Hwang notes that the core narrative of the original game wasn’t overly involved by design. Still, now that the blueprint is out there, they can likely take a little more creative liberty with it. A few fan-favorite characters could easily carry their own spinoff, too.

Related

Dave The Diver Makes His Way Into The Jungle In Late 2025

Dave The Diver is making his way into the jungle in the upcoming DLC, taking players out of the Blue Hole and into the wild unknown on land.

No matter what platform you play it on, you should get in on Dave the Diver sooner rather than later. You’re going to see it a lot more in the future, however that ends up shaking out. For now, you can play the original at a really great price on a few storefronts.

Dave the Diver

Systems

Released

June 28, 2023

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol, Mild Blood

Developer(s)

Mintrocket

Publisher(s)

Mintrocket

Engine

Unity