- Publisher: MINT ROCKET
- Release Date: Jun 28, 2023
- Also On: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Sep 4, 2023This is demanding work, but the game’s distinct but complementary loops of playful labour are highly compelling. The satisfaction of completing a challenging dive without needing to be rescued, then watching the rave reviews on “Cooksta” pour in, is profound. Stylish, witty and exquisitely designed, Dave the Diver uses several hooks to achieve its goal, while establishing the relationship between the food we eat and the world from which its harvested with useful urgency.
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Aug 14, 2023Wholesome, harmonious and completely unwilling to settle, this is one of the most generous games in years.
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Jul 3, 2023Dave the Diver from Mint Rocket is something to behold. The game features exploration, collection, side quests, an RPG backbone, and a restaurant simulator, all of which are beautifully balanced and connected. This is by far one of the better games of 2023 and shouldn’t be overlooked.
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Jun 30, 2023And the prize for the 'Most Game 2023' goes to South Korea: Dave the Diver tirelessly surprises with new ideas and keeps its catchy basic elements as fresh as good sushi. One of the year's most addictive games.
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Nov 20, 2025Dave the Diver is an excellent, enormous title that is best left as vague as possible. Go in without looking too deeply into it and be ready for dozens of hours of some of the best that video gaming has to offer.
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Jul 21, 2023Dave the Diver delves into the hauntingly beautiful and multi-genre masterpiece that captivates players with its engaging game play and ever-changing dynamics. The game seamlessly combines various elements, from fishing and selling sushi to battling sea creatures, making it an enjoyable and unique experience. The story is light, humorous, and entertaining, keeping players engaged throughout. The game's flexibility allows players to choose their preferred game play style, whether it's diving for fish or managing the sushi shop, ensuring a personalized experience for all players. Events and unpredictable moments add excitement and challenge to the game, making each dive feel different and special. Despite occasional repetitiveness, the game surprises with unexpected challenges and moments of kindness.
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Jun 29, 2023Dave the Diver is captivating. It throws a lot of ideas at players, most of which are great. The dominant mechanics, diving and restaurant work, have depth and plenty of surprises. Even after many hours of harpoon fishing, it’s still thrilling to evaluate a target, aim, fire, struggle with it, and repeat until the result is extra sushi material. The many narrative threads don’t always connect with each other meaningfully, and there are some side activities that don’t impress. But Dave the Diver has cool characters, a strong core gameplay loop, and plenty of attention to detail to impress players with.
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Jun 28, 2023Whether you're diving into the depths or managing a sushi restaurant, Dave the Diver is full of ideas and engaging from start to finish.
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Aug 30, 2023Dave The Diver is a true indie gem. The story acts as the glue that holds things together while most of the weight of the game is on the shoulders of gameplay mechanics that are gradually added, new areas that are unlocked in each chapter of the story, and new weapons and equipment that can be found in boxes scattered in the Blue Hole. This game is a simple delight like a cup of coffee in the morning or an ice cream in the summer heat; its true value is felt only when you taste it yourself.
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Jul 12, 2023Charming, deep, and constantly surprising, Dave the Diver is packed with activities and full of heart.
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Nov 26, 2023Dave the Diver is an eventful experience where every new dive is an adventure of its own that always come hand in hand with an unexpected plot developments.
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Sep 26, 2023In a world full of fear and uncertainty, Dave the Diver is here to offer a lighthearted story and engaging gameplay. It doesn’t try to follow trends or emulate big AAA titles. It doesn’t have an in-game shop to try to get you to spend more money. It’s simply a silly, fun game about a diver named Dave, and I can’t put it down.
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Sep 15, 2023Dave the Diver is an absolute must-play if you are in the mood for some sushi and relaxation. It has its tense moments, but with its beautiful surroundings, an absurd amount of activities, and just pure hearted and wholesome nature, you will be sucked into this magical lagoon of heavenly food and fun.
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Sep 8, 2023Dave the Diver is the right indie game at the right time. In a year full of great releases, Mintrocket shows us the worth of a simple and relaxed experience, that truly feels like a pleasure to sit down and play.
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Aug 21, 2023Dave the Diver is a surprisingly excellent game. Its beautiful pixel art is joined by plenty of activities, not very deep, but fun all the same. The weird underwater world is charming and invites discovery. The characters are interesting, with memorable quests. The tempo is a bit unequal sometimes, but the game offers plenty of content nonetheless.
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Aug 18, 20232023 didn't really need a game that good. It was already a banger of a year for video games. But here we are, with Dave the Diver being one of the most fun, fulfilling, wholesome, and sometime downright beautiful games that came out this year.
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Aug 17, 2023Dave the Diver is the best thing I’ve played this year and I wish I had more such stellar games in my life to help me escape the grey reality. Its gameplay loop is terrifyingly addictive and the “one more dive syndrome” lies in wait for anyone who decides to check out this dark horse of the GOTY race.
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Aug 2, 2023Dave the Diver’s unusual genre blend creates an infinitely satisfying and addictive gameplay loop, which, thanks to the constant influx of new mechanics and game content, feels fresh and rewarding until the very end.
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Jul 21, 2023Dave the Diver is an extremely generous game that hooks you with all its gifts you can't refuse.
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Jul 20, 2023DAVE THE DIVER is a fantastic adventure RPG. Can you take to the water and solve the mystery of the "Blue Hole"? Explore new locations, complete each quest, and help in the restaurant. I loved the aesthetics, the evolving gameplay, and never-ending content. Furthermore, it is great on Steam Deck.
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Jul 17, 2023With one of the most addictive gameplay loops of the year, Dave the Diver combines diving roguelike and sushi bar management with the skill of a master sushi chef. Its plucky irreverent tone, fun writing, constant minigames, and well-balanced drip-feed of mechanics made for an experience I was happy to sink many hours into.
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Jul 16, 2023Dave the Diver combines two excellent gameplay elements, but still feels like more than the sum of its parts. Deep sea diving and sushi restaurant management are equally enjoyable and complex, making for a supremely addicting gameplay loop. Not only is it the surprise hit of the summer, but it’s one we’ll be having a discussion about when it’s time to look back on 2023’s best games.
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Jul 12, 2023There’s basically nothing to find fault with in Dave the Diver. Did I have trouble mastering a few of the cooking minigames, and an easy mode for the rhythm games would have been appreciated – but that’s a drop in the ocean compared to what it does right. Filling out the fish index, sneaking through a secret base, gambling in a merfolk casino – everywhere I turned there was something new to try, and all of it was built with care and wit. There’s a shocking amount to do here, all of it is worth sinking time into.
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Jul 9, 2023Fun, funny and really well designed, Dave the Diver is an addictive adventure that combines many elements that shouldn’t work together, but somehow, they do.
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Jul 9, 2023Dave the Diver is an absolute delight to play. Its core gameplay loop is wonderfully relaxing, but before too long players will be finding all the different options in its nooks and crannies. It’s surely one of the best games of the year so far, and players will love taking on the role of our goatee'd hero.
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Jul 9, 2023A triumph in just about every way, Dave the Diver is undoubtedly going to be one of 2023’s biggest success stories. This gorgeous adventure keeps you hooked no matter what you’re doing. Whether you’re serving up sushi, catching fish or exploring the depths of the oceans for long-lost secrets, you’ll struggle to pull yourself away. We just love it. Even if it does leave us craving sushi – but it’s a small price to pay.
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Jul 4, 2023know I’m already hooked in, and it’s quickly become one of the best titles I’ve played this year.
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Jun 27, 2023Dave the Diver knows from the very first scene what it wants to be, and from the get-go it's firing on all its available cylinders. You get a fantastically complex gaming experience here, with a self-awareness that would suit many major studios.
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Jun 27, 2023Dave the Diver was crafted by video game visionaries with a pure love of fun. I have never seen a game jampack so much into one seemingly tiny title and somehow make it all work with the clarity of something smaller in scope. Dave the Diver doesn’t just deserve your attention, it demands it, and if you’ve been waiting for your sign to dive into this addicting game, I’m telling you now it’s time to take the plunge.
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Jun 26, 2023Dave The Diver will end up being one of those fundamental titles that people talk about in the same breath as Stardew Valley, where it achieves on nearly every front.
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Jun 26, 2023Dave The Diver is a tremendous and unforgettable RPG adventure that I can’t put down. The story and characters are full of heart and charm, the underwater exploration and restaurant management are easy to lose time to, and the sheer number of weird minigames and other surprises that are packed in the 30-hour adventure ensure things never grow stale. Even with wimpy bosses, simple puzzles, and a fair number of bugs, Dave The Diver has so many other interesting and intriguing things going on that it’s easily one of the best games I’ve played this year so far.
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Aug 27, 2023Dave the Diver is a great adventure with many elements from other genres, so it never gets boring. Only the control with mouse and keyboard takes some getting used to.
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Jul 26, 2023Dave the Diver deserves to be a hit of summer 2023. He does not innovate and does not offer new gameplay mechanics, he is "only" concerned with giving ten hours of superfine quality and succeeds with a style and lightness from which one immediately becomes addicted. It is a much more accurate work than it seems, an experience in magnificent balance between its two souls, characterized by an immense heart and continually able to amaze you as it drags you deeper and deeper into the abyss of the "another dive and I shut off" loop.
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Jul 12, 2023You might question whether a sushi restaurant management sim crossed with underwater diving is your cup of tea, but that would be missing the point. Dave the Diver is a unique and memorable vacation away from expectations, and it’s the very fact that you don’t usually play games like this that makes it so satisfying.
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Jun 27, 2023Dave the Diver shows a perfect connection between two genres, Adventure and Tycoon. While adventure element is deep, Tycoon part gives a speedy, hectic fun. On top of that, well handled B-rated vibe, attractive characters, and various mini-games are creating a synergy throughout the game play.
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Jul 11, 2023Quotation forthcoming.
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Jul 21, 2023Games are often referred to as mixing the right ingredients and mixing the best recipe. But in the case of Dave the diver, the ingredients and recipes on the plate are the most important thing, not metaphorically, but completely practically. And the resulting food tastes so good that you will lick your fingers.
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Jul 20, 2023Dave the Diver is a game with a distinctive style that demonstrates the potential of the medium with its comprehensive and varied gameplay. While the late-game mechanics may feel repetitive in the full version, the enjoyable fishing experience for the first ten hours makes it worth the price of admission.
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Jul 9, 2023Dave the Diver is much more than the sum of its individual components. It lacks originality and is never particularly deep in its various mechanics, but the end result is a game with excellent pacing, fun, dense with content and continues to come up with new ideas even after hours and hours.
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Jul 23, 2023Dave the Diver is one of the most interesting games of this year. From such a simple concept – bring some fish to your restaurant! – the game keeps building on its gameplay and deepening the experience, captivating the player in an enjoyable and magnetic loop that you will find hard to jump off from.
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Aug 22, 2023Dave the Diver is a whacky, 2D/3D game that mixes several genres to form a fun adventure with silly characters and never a shortage of things to do. Each trip into the mysterious Blue Hole is different, and you’ll have plenty of quests and upgrades to work on. Spend your days diving, and your nights running a sushi bar. If you are looking for a great balance of not too hard, not too easy, Dave the Diver is it. While some of the missions can get kind of hairy, managing your resources is what it’s all about. The story is fun, and I really enjoyed the MarinCa app that gives us facts about sea creatures we catch!
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Jul 21, 2023It is one of these games that is the full package. It has engaging mechanics that really make you want to play, it has a visual style that really highlights everything the game is trying to do, and it has some of the best and most varied music I've heard in a while.
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Jul 5, 2023A wonderfully strange and imaginative indie adventure that delights in terms of its visuals, storytelling, and enjoyably unpredictable gameplay.
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Jun 28, 2023Every moment in Dave the Diver feels unique the first time through. The constant changing of side-missions, the cutscenes when upgrading weapons or fish dishes, and the eccentric cast of characters, all blend together so well into a game that, when viewed just from the surface, might seem shallow. But players willing to dive into the meat of the game will find even more enjoyment than they bargained for, especially with its official 1.0 release. It’s a single-player adventure with heart, good music (‘Hot Pepper Tuna’ will likely end up on a lot of people's personal playlists), and a cast of characters that feel right at home around The Blue Hole. Its eccentricities make it memorable, and Dave might be the kindest and most fun adventuring protagonist players encounter in the world of video games this year.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Jul 19, 2023Dave The Diver very much deserves the enormous success it’s received in its first month, selling over a million copies, and hopefully making developers Mintrocket enormously rich. They’ve created something really special, an RPG-meets-Diner Dash-meets gentle SCUBA sim, that manages to feel utterly crammed to the gills with things to do, yet joyfully relaxing to play.
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Jun 29, 2023What makes Dave the Diver work so well is wanting to see what comes next. In another game that just tacked on mechanics and plot devices with no plan, it could feel like the padding around a threadbare premise. But Dave’s kitchen sink approach somehow feels like a perfectly logical, if absurd, escalation — like a Tim Robinson sketch in game form. It’s a teetering pile of mechanics and minigames that never gets around to collapsing because the balancing act is just too much fun. [Polygon Recommends]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 143 out of 226
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Mixed: 34 out of 226
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Negative: 49 out of 226
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Jul 2, 2023
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Jul 4, 2023
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Jul 2, 2023