The Review
Dave the Diver was a genuine surprise of 2023, reaching over 3 million sales and earning GOTY nominations despite being published by a mobile subsidiary of Nexon (Mintrocket). The game splits each day between two activities: diving the Blue Hole ocean trench to catch fish and ingredients, then running Bancho Sushi restaurant in the evening, managing staff and serving customers.
The charm is relentless. Dave himself is a lovable everyman dragged into increasingly absurd adventures involving sea people, rogue AI, a Godzilla crossover event, and a retired pop star. The pixel art animates beautifully, the music is warm and varied, and the game constantly introduces new mechanics - photography, farming, cooking minigames, boss dive sequences - without ever feeling padded. The Dredge collaboration DLC added a dark-toned crossover that worked better than it had any right to.
The back half of the game introduces story elements that some players found slower than the breezy front half, and the restaurant management never reaches the depth of a dedicated sim. But these are minor concerns. Dave the Diver is a game that feels made by people who love games, full of affectionate references and genuine warmth. It's the rare title that almost everyone who plays it finishes.
