When you look around Steam currently, you can hardly overlook Dave the Diver. This was also the case for MeinMMO author Nicole Wakulczyk. During the weekend, she dived into the game for 20 hours, although she actually had completely different plans.
When I first saw Dave the Diver, I was honestly a bit put off by the pixelated graphics. However, since it was a simulation game, I was curious and gave Dave and his crew a chance.
Ultimately, I threw my weekend plans overboard, dove into the adventure in the mysterious Blue Hole, collected fish as if they were rare Pokémon, and became the manager of a sushi bar.
Switching between dives and sushi sales
What kind of game is it? Dave the Diver is a single-player adventure RPG where you explore the mysterious and sometimes very dangerous deep sea as a diver during the day, as the name suggests. In the evenings, you have your catch prepared for the sushi restaurant and take care of the management of the establishment.
The individual activities are interspersed with mini-games. Among other things, you have to press various buttons to catch fish with your harpoon. If you fail the mini-game, they escape. Pouring drinks at the bar also happens through a mini-game.
A detailed test report on Dave the Diver can be found with our colleagues at GameStar.
During the day, you dive into the mysterious Blue Hole, which can sometimes be quite dangerous. The deeper you dive, the more dangerous sea creatures you encounter. According to Steam, there are over 200 species of sea creatures. Some fish can be killed with a few knife stabs, while others can withstand more.
And sometimes the fights against the fish can be quite tough.
The annoying part: Like in other games with rogue-like elements, you lose all your loot when you die. However, you get to choose one item to take with you on your rescue back to the boat.
In the evenings, you run a sushi restaurant where your catches are made into delicious meals and served to your guests. During the course of the game, I quickly realized that it won’t just be about diving and selling sushi. Over time, more and more mechanics and tasks came my way, guiding me through the coming hours. Initially, I just wanted to take a ‘quick look’ at Dave the Diver and get an impression.
What started as ‘just a quick look’ turned into 20 hours spread over two days. My original plan to play Diablo 4 and finally get my huntress to level 100 fell by the wayside. Fortunately, I still have a few days before Season 1 starts.
Dave the Diver unfolds over time and has incredibly much to offer, which I honestly didn’t expect at first.
Many hours of entertainment and varied gameplay
What does Dave the Diver offer? In addition to the adventures you embark on during your dives and the evenings in the sushi restaurant, there is much to discover and much to do.
- Fighting and collecting: Underwater, you have essentially two main tasks. You collect resources that you find there, including food from crates, plants, and smaller fish. The second task is to fight larger fish, as these are particularly in demand in the restaurant.
- Boss fights: As you progress, you will encounter larger opponents within the story. The fights can be quite tough and not only consist of attacks – sometimes you need to look around and incorporate your environment.
- Survival: Underwater you depend on the supply of your oxygen tanks. You should always keep an eye on these and refill them at oxygen containers or shells underwater from time to time. If you run out of oxygen, it’s Game Over. You lose your collected items and can only choose a single item to take with you on your rescue back to the boat.
- Lovable characters: All characters bring their own stories and contribute to the gaming experience even through small details. Your staff gradually develops their own skills, characters from side quests take on important roles, and the main characters enrich the game with quirky and funny dialogues.
- Management & Simulation: In your sushi restaurant, you initially do most things yourself. Although you have a chef, you still have to serve plates to the guests, pour them drinks in a mini-game, and refill wasabi for the chef. Later, managing also includes hiring and directing staff. Occasionally, there are events where you need to serve specific fish.
- Upgrading & crafting: What will be familiar to you from other games is the upgrading of items as well as crafting equipment and weapons. You can also gradually upgrade your restaurant with visual items. To keep track of your equipment, restaurant, and fish, you use a smartphone.
- Fish cards collection: You not only catch the fish, but you also collect a card as soon as you discover a new fish. For some, this may be familiar from another game. Gotta ca.. fish ’em all!
- Main story & side quests: There is a main story that accompanies you through the game and, in my opinion, is not too short but also not too long. In my 20 hours, I am not completely finished, but I have also spent a lot of time on side quests and collecting.
- Appropriate music: Each area has its own song. It’s especially cool that you unlock different songs by progressing through the scenes. These are then saved in your playlist.
97 % positive reviews on Steam
How popular is Dave the Diver? Dave the Diver was released on June 28 and was both published and developed by Mintrocket. On Steam, it has so far recorded a whopping 97 % positive reviews. In total, Dave the Diver has over 98,000 players.
Players particularly praise the gameplay, which can captivate for hours, the relaxed music, and the mix of nostalgic pixel graphics and modern mechanics. The individual activities are fun, are sometimes a bit challenging, and bring a plus point that can sometimes be lost in some games: They make sense.
Dave the Diver does a lot right and has a lot to offer – and that at a more than reasonable price of just under 20 €. Without exaggeration, I can say that Dave the Diver is one of my games of the year. I can really only recommend it to you. But don’t complain afterwards that it’s addictive.
If you are also interested in other titles on Steam that are even cheaper, we have a list for you:
