A weird little game picking up some steam recently, Dave the Diver has players as Dave, a spearfisher by day, restauranteur by night who dives to fill out the menu at the sushi joint he runs alongside some friends. The restaurant sits on the side of the mysterious Blue Hole, a vast ocean pit alongside an island that has many mysteries to explore.
It’s a blend of action-spearfishing combat and exploration while you dive, looking for new creatures and ingredients for your meals. You also unravel the mystery of the blue hole, searching for new ecosystems and “mysterious ancient artifacts.” It’s also naturally rife with giant bosses to fight: Hermit crabs, huge lanternfish, immense squids.
Meanwhile restaurant play is a twist on your classic tapper game, where customers sit and order and must be catered to fast enough—and correctly—to keep them happy. Doing well at this end of the game lets you have special customers visit.
Steam user reviews for Dave the Diver are doing well, with 94% of reviews clocking as Positive. It might look like an indie, but it’s not: This is the first release from Nexon’s spinoff into smaller games publishing: Mintrocket. Nexon (opens in new tab) is the billion-dollar Korean-founded, Japanese-based publisher more known for its free-to-play MMOs and mobile games, and as the originator of popular early MMOs like MapleStory and Mabinogi, alongside recent releases like DNF Duel. (opens in new tab)
I won’t pretend I don’t feel represented by Dave, a chubby beardy dude with a hobby at odds with his physical appearance. For Dave this is being a diver, for me this is being a gardener and woodsman. We are both majestic, in our own way.
You can find Dave the Diver on Steam (opens in new tab), where it’s in early access for $20. It’s currently on sale for 10% off until November 2nd.
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