Dave the Diver
MintRocket + Nexon indie-hybrid daytime-diving + nighttime sushi-restaurant management game (Jun 28, 2023 PC, Oct 26, 2023 Switch, 2024 PS4/PS5) — pixel-art harpoon diving, fish-catching, running Bancho's Sushi. 4M+ units first year; The Game Awards 2023 Best Indie winner.
What is Dave the Diver?
Dave the Diver is a hybrid single-player game developed by South Korean studio MintRocket (Nexon subsidiary) — released June 28, 2023 for PC (Steam), Oct 26, 2023 for Nintendo Switch, and 2024 for PS4/PS5. Genre-blending: daytime diving simulator (spear/harpoon underwater fish-hunting in the mysterious Blue Hole) + nighttime restaurant-management sim (running Bancho's Sushi restaurant, serving fish caught during dives). Player is 'Dave', chubby diving veteran roped into helping his eccentric friend Cobra Bancho run a mysterious sushi restaurant near an unusual dive site — the ever-changing Blue Hole. Distinctive pixel-art visuals (throwback SNES aesthetic), 300+ fish species to catch, dozens of sushi recipes to master, boss battles against sea creatures (Great White Shark, Kraken, Mola Mola), mini-games (staff-training rhythm game, fish-farming, weapon crafting). Deep story with plot twists involving underwater civilisations, dragon quests, cooking competitions. 4M+ units sold within first year of release; won 'Best Indie Game' at The Game Awards 2023 + 'Best Casual Game' + numerous other awards. Frequent free content updates including Godzilla collaboration + Dredge crossover.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–1
Duration
~30 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇰🇷 South Korea
Estimated origin
Released Jun 28, 2023 (PC); Switch Oct 26, 2023; PS4/PS5 2024
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Catch fish in the Blue Hole, serve sushi at Bancho's, uncover the mystery of the Blue Hole + underwater civilisations, complete recipe collection + weapon tree.
Match structure
Single-player day-cycle loop: 2 dive slots (morning + afternoon) + 1 restaurant service (evening). Story missions + boss battles interspersed.
Rules
Basic rules
Day = Diving; Night = Restaurant
Each in-game day has 2 dive slots for fish-hunting, then evening restaurant service.
Air + Weight limits per dive
Air depletes over dive time + upon damage; weight limits how many fish/materials you can surface with.
Weapon variety
Harpoons, guns, spear guns, tranquilliser, nets — different fish need different weapons for max quality.
Advanced rules
Restaurant staffing + upgrades
Hire chefs/servers/cleaners; each has stats + special skills; upgrade restaurant seats, kitchen, decor.
Fish farming + Sea People trade
Set up fish farm; trade with Sea People underwater civilisation for rare recipes + weapons.
Boss battle patterns
Great White Shark, Kraken, Mola Mola have specific attack patterns + weakness windows.
Scoring
Restaurant revenue + fish collection completion + story chapter progression.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Fish caught (better quality = better sushi = more revenue) | Restaurant earnings |
Win condition · Complete main story (~10 chapters). 100% = 300+ fish caught, all recipes, all weapon crafts, all sea creatures scanned.
Equipment
PC (Steam), Switch, PS4/PS5
Multi-platform. Also available on iOS/Android since 2024.
Standard controller or M+KB
Full controller support; mouse works for restaurant management + M+KB for aiming underwater.
Positions & roles
Dave (diver-chef protagonist)
×1Sole playable — dives underwater + manages restaurant.
Officiating
Single-player only.
- Speedrun.com moderators
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Dive death (air out / damage)
Rescued to surface; lose all fish caught that dive.
Failed restaurant service
Lower daily revenue; disgruntled customers reduce restaurant rating.
Strategies
Fish quality > quantity
Sniper-headshot fish for gold-quality catches — higher restaurant revenue than mass low-quality catches.
Restaurant staff synergy
Match chef skills (Speed, Sushi Skill, Special Recipe) to daily menu; hire cleaners to prevent floor-cleaning downtime.
Sea People trade priority
Prioritise Sea People trade for rare cooking pot recipes + unique weapons that trivialise later bosses.
Terminology
- Blue Hole
- Mysterious ever-changing dive site with unique biome + civilisations
- Bancho
- The eccentric sushi-master owner of the restaurant
- Sea People
- Underwater civilisation traders
- Cooksta
- In-game Instagram-like restaurant rating platform
Major competitions
The Game Awards 2023 Best Indie Game
annual · global · since 2014
Speedrun.com Dave the Diver leaderboards
ongoing · global (community) · since 2023
Where it is played
Governing bodies
MintRocket (Nexon subsidiary)
Founded 2022 · Seongnam, South Korea
Nexon Group
Founded 1994 · Tokyo, Japan (parent) / Seongnam, South Korea
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Jaeho Hwang (game director, MintRocket)
Records
4M+ units first year
MintRocket / Nexon — 4 million+ units sold within first year across all platforms (2024)
TGA 2023 Best Indie Game
MintRocket — Won Best Independent Game at The Game Awards 2023 (2023)
Highest-selling Nexon self-published indie
MintRocket — MintRocket's debut game became Nexon's highest-selling indie release (2023)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
First 3 in-game days
Learn dive controls + restaurant serving basics.
intermediate
- 1
Mid-game (Ch 3-6)
Upgrade restaurant + weapon tree; complete Sea People story arc.
advanced
- 1
100% + all DLC + Godzilla event
Complete all 300+ fish + all recipes + Godzilla + Dredge crossovers.
Frequently asked
Is Dave the Diver a roguelike?+
Not really — dives reset visual layout of the Blue Hole but progress + inventory persist across days. Death only costs one dive's catch.
How long is Dave the Diver?+
Main story ~30-40 hours; 100% completion including all Cooksta ratings, fish, recipes, weapons ~60-80 hours; regular free content updates add more.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Dave the Diver— Wikipedia