Dave the Diver Review - The Most Addictive Game About Sushi You'll Ever Play
Dave the Diver · MINTROCKET
▶ SCORE8.7/10
MMichael
Must Play
▶ TL;DRDave the Diver is half underwater fishing adventure, half sushi restaurant manager, and 100% bloody brilliant. You'll spend your days diving into the mysterious Blue Hole catching fish, then your nights serving them up at Bancho Sushi. It's absurdly fun, gorgeous to look at, and packed with collaborations from Godzilla to Balatro. The crop farm feels a bit tedious and could use more automation, but everything else is top-notch. Solid 8.7/10 - one of the most unique indie games in years.
Summary
I went into Dave the Diver thinking it'd be a chill fishing game with some restaurant stuff tacked on. What I got was one of the most addictive, hilarious, and surprisingly deep games I've played in ages. You're Dave - a portly bloke who gets roped into running a sushi restaurant by his dodgy mate Cobra and a legendary chef named Bancho. The catch? You've gotta dive into the Blue Hole every day to catch your own ingredients.
Best sushi chef ever !
The game loop is simple: dive during the day, run the restaurant at night, upgrade your gear, repeat. But somehow Mintrocket turned this formula into absolute crack. I'd tell myself "just one more day" and suddenly it's 3am and I'm still trying to catch that rare tuna.
+ PROS
Addictive gameplay loop that blends diving and restaurant management perfectly
Gorgeous pixel art and charming character design
Genuinely funny writing and engaging story
− CONS
Crop farm feels tedious and needs automation
Time-limited DLC can feel like FOMO bait
What Makes This Game Absolutely Ripper
The beauty of Dave the Diver is how it takes two completely different gameplay styles and smashes them together in a way that just works.
The Diving: This is where the game really shines. The Blue Hole is this mysterious underwater location that changes every time you dive. You've got your harpoon gun, some limited oxygen, and a weight limit for what you can carry back. Combat's surprisingly engaging - you're dodging sharks, fighting giant squids, and uncovering ancient mysteries. The pixel art underwater environments are gorgeous, with different zones to explore as you upgrade your gear.
What got me hooked(pun intented) was how every dive feels different. Sometimes you're hunting specific fish for recipes, other times you're exploring new areas, and occasionally you're fighting massive boss creatures that absolutely dwarf Dave. The variety keeps it fresh even dozens of hours in.
The Sushi Bar: At night, you're running Bancho Sushi, and this is where the game's personality really comes through. You're hiring staff, upgrading equipment, managing the dinner rush, and creating new dishes. The customers are hilarious - you've got regulars with their own stories, food critics who'll tear you apart, and even some supernatural visitors.
Still haven't manage to get tea properly poured
The restaurant management isn't as complex as something like Overcooked, but it's engaging enough without being stressful. You're plating dishes, serving tables, and trying to keep everyone happy. When you nail a perfect dinner service, it feels bloody brilliant.
The Good Stuff
The Humour: Dave the Diver is genuinely funny. The writing's sharp, the character designs are spot-on, and there's this constant stream of absurd situations that had me cracking up. Dave's just trying to run a sushi bar, but he ends up dealing with sea people civilizations, ancient prophecies, and environmental catastrophes. The game never takes itself too seriously.
Not going to spoil much , but the humour is on an other level on this game!
The Art Style: The pixel art is absolutely stunning. Underwater scenes are vibrant and detailed, the fish designs are brilliant, and the character portraits during dialogue are expressive and charming. It's that perfect blend of retro aesthetics with modern polish.
Very cool art style
The Story: I wasn't expecting much from the story, but it's actually really engaging. There's a proper mystery unfolding about the Blue Hole, the sea people, and why this place is so special. Characters are well-developed, and there are genuine emotional moments mixed in with the comedy.
The Collaborations: This game has gone absolutely mental with crossovers. You've got:
Godzilla - Fight the King of Monsters himself in submarine battles
Dredge - Catch aberrant fish during mysterious fog events
Balatro - Play the full card game with the sea people
Potion Craft - Collect rare mushrooms for new dishes
Like a Dragon (Ichiban's Holiday) - Team up with Ichiban in limited-time DLC
Guilty Gear - Fighting game crossover content
mxmtoon - The singer shows up for special events
These aren't just throwaway easter eggs either - they're proper content additions that feel integrated into the game. The Balatro collab in particular is sick - you can actually play a full version of the card game underwater.
Where It Gets a Bit Dodgy
The Crop Farm: Right, so later in the game you unlock a farm where you can grow vegetables and ingredients. On paper, this sounds great - more self-sufficiency for the restaurant. In practice? It's bloody tedious. You're manually planting, watering, and harvesting crops, and it feels like busywork compared to the exciting diving and restaurant management.
I did not enjoy this part , as much i would want to.
This is where the game could really use some automation. Something like Graveyard Keeper's zombie workers would've been perfect here. Instead, you're spending precious time tending crops when you could be exploring or serving customers. It's not game-breaking, but it definitely drags the pace down in the mid-to-late game.
The Grind: While most of the game flows beautifully, there are moments where you're grinding for specific resources or waiting for certain days to progress quests. It's not as bad as some management sims, but it's there.
The DLC Situation
Dave the Diver has been absolutely pumping out content since launch. Most collaborations have been free, which is brilliant. However, there are some paid DLCs:
Ichiban's Holiday (Like a Dragon DLC): This is paid and time-limited - it was only available for 6 months after launching in April 2025, though you can still play it if you bought it. Bit controversial, but the content's solid if you're a Yakuza/Like a Dragon fan.
In the Jungle DLC - Coming Early 2026: This is the big one that was announced at The Game Awards 2024. Dave's heading out of the Blue Hole and into the jungle - a whole new environment to explore. Based on the trailer, it looks like a proper expansion rather than just a collaboration. No word on pricing yet, but this could be massive. Originally slated for late 2025, it got pushed to early 2026 to give the devs more time to cook.
In the jungle , the mighty jungle . the lions ... you know the rest , sing along :)
The Godzilla DLC returned to stores in June 2025 and will be available until December 2026, so if you missed it the first time, now's your chance.
Final Thoughts
Dave the Diver is one of those games that's way better than it has any right to be. On paper, "fishing game meets restaurant manager" sounds like a weird combo that shouldn't work. In practice, it's one of the most addictive and charming indie games I've played.
The diving is engaging, the restaurant management is fun, the story's surprisingly good, and the whole thing is wrapped in gorgeous pixel art and genuinely funny writing. The constant stream of collaborations keeps things fresh, and there's always something new to discover.
Yeah, the crop farm gets tedious and could use better automation. And yeah, there's some grinding involved. But these are minor gripes in what's otherwise a brilliant package.
If you're burnt out on the usual indie game fare and want something genuinely unique, Dave the Diver is an easy recommendation. Just be prepared to lose way more hours than you planned.
★ FEATURED
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