Dave the Diver Guide#
“Two worlds, one adventure — dive deep by day, serve fresh by night.”
— Dave the Diver
Game Overview#
Dave the Diver is a genre-blending game developed by MINTROCKET. By day you play as Dave, diving and spearfishing across the mysterious Blue Hole; by night you run a sushi restaurant, turning the day’s catch into dishes guests will pay for. Deep-sea exploration, resource management, restaurant operations, and light RPG progression are woven into one compulsive loop. From sunlit shallows to the abyss, from ordinary shoals to legendary sea creatures, every dive holds a new discovery.
| Item |
Detail |
| Game |
Dave the Diver |
| Developer |
MINTROCKET |
| Publisher |
MINTROCKET |
| Release Date |
June 28, 2023 |
| Platforms |
PC (Steam), macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5 |
| Genre |
Adventure |
| Engine |
Unity |
| Length |
25-35h (main story) |
| Media Score |
90/100 (PC), 86/100 (Switch) |
| Price |
¥80 (Steam, China region) |
| Series |
Dave the Diver (+ Godzilla DLC, Dredge DLC, etc.) |
| Languages |
Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, and more |
System Requirements#
Minimum#
| Item |
Specification |
| OS |
Windows 7 64-bit |
| Processor |
Intel Core i5-4670 |
| Memory |
8 GB RAM |
| Graphics |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 |
| DirectX |
Version 11 |
| Storage |
10 GB available space |
| Resolution |
1920x1080 (recommended) |
Recommended#
| Item |
Specification |
| OS |
Windows 10 64-bit |
| Processor |
Intel Core i7-7700 |
| Memory |
16 GB RAM |
| Graphics |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 |
| DirectX |
Version 12 |
| Storage |
10 GB available space (SSD recommended) |
| Frame Rate |
1440p 60fps (recommended) |
Game Features#
| Feature |
Description |
| Deep-sea exploration |
Explore the layered waters of the Blue Hole, from sunlit shallows to the dark abyss |
| Sushi restaurant management |
Run Bancho Sushi, controlling everything from menu design to staff training |
| Equipment upgrades |
Upgrade diving gear and weapons to reach deeper waters |
| Character growth |
Dave learns new skills and improves his abilities |
| Side quests |
A rich lineup of NPC quest lines that unlock new areas and features |
| Minigames |
Drink mixing, food delivery, sushi preparation, and more |
| Photography |
Photograph marine life to complete the encyclopedia |
| Fish farming |
Breed rare fish to secure a steady ingredient supply |
The Two-Loop System#
| Time of Day |
Activity |
Purpose |
| Day (about 20 minutes) |
Diving, spearfishing, exploring, completing quests |
Gather ingredients and materials |
| Dusk (automatic) |
Selecting ingredients and preparing dishes |
Set the night’s menu |
| Night (about 10 minutes) |
Running the sushi restaurant and serving guests |
Earn income and raise your rating |
| Late night (automatic) |
Settling the day’s earnings and triggering events |
Plan the next day |
Guide Navigation#
| Guide Chapter |
Content |
Weight |
| Game Overview |
Story background, gameplay loop, DLC overview |
10 |
| Beginner Basics |
First 10 hours, priority upgrade recommendations |
20 |
| Diving Mechanics |
Depth analysis, oxygen management, hazard avoidance |
30 |
| Fish Encyclopedia |
All species, distribution, size and price, uses |
40 |
| Sushi Recipes |
All recipes, profit analysis, enhancement system |
50 |
| Restaurant Management |
Staff training, upgrade strategy, event handling |
60 |
| Weapon Compendium |
Full weapon stats and upgrade paths |
70 |
| Boss Strategies |
Every boss, tactics and weakness analysis |
80 |
| Hidden Secrets |
Easter eggs, hidden rooms, special discoveries |
90 |
| Material Farming |
Efficient material farming routes |
100 |
| Tips Compilation |
50 practical tips and efficiency optimization |
110 |
| Characters |
All NPCs and affinity quests |
120 |
| Upgrade System |
All upgrade data and priority order |
130 |
| Speedrun Guide |
Speedrun routes and key checkpoint optimization |
140 |
Core Gameplay Mechanics#
| Mechanic |
Description |
Unlock Condition |
| Diving |
Freely explore the sea and capture fish with your gear |
Unlocked from the start |
| Restaurant management |
Run the sushi bar at night, serve guests, earn income |
Unlocked on the first night |
| Weapon system |
Multiple weapon types for different fish |
Purchase before diving |
| Cooking |
Learn new recipes and raise dish quality |
After unlocking the kitchen |
| Staff management |
Hire staff and divide tasks to boost efficiency |
After upgrading the restaurant |
| Submarine |
Pilot a submarine to explore deep-sea regions |
Unlocked mid-game |
| Fish farm |
Breed fish to guarantee a stable ingredient supply |
Unlocked mid-game |
| Drink mixing |
Mix signature drinks to increase revenue |
After unlocking the bar |
FAQ#
| Question |
Answer |
| How long is the game? |
About 25-35 hours for the main story, 50-70 hours for full completion |
| Is Chinese supported? |
Full support for Simplified and Traditional Chinese |
| Is there multiplayer? |
Single-player only — no multiplayer mode |
| How difficult is it? |
Moderate, designed primarily as a relaxed, casual experience |
| Is an internet connection required? |
Purely offline — no connection needed |
| Is there DLC? |
Yes, several free crossover DLC packs |
| Is controller supported? |
Fully supported |
| Is it replayable? |
Highly — New Game+ mode and challenge content |
| How does saving work? |
Auto-save at each day’s settlement |
| Is there a photo mode? |
Yes, you can photograph marine life |
Game Timeline#
| Hours |
Main Goals |
Unlocks |
| 0-5h |
Basic diving, getting to know Bancho Sushi |
Basic gear, sushi preparation |
| 5-15h |
Exploring new areas, upgrading equipment |
Submarine, fish farm |
| 15-30h |
Advancing the story, fighting bosses |
Deep-sea regions, new weapons |
| 30-50h |
Endgame content, full completion |
New Game+, complete encyclopedia |
| 50h+ |
All achievements, challenge mode |
Extreme challenges |
Balancing Combat and Management#
| Aspect |
Advice |
| Dive time allocation |
Focus on gathering early, exploration mid-game, efficiency late |
| Fund allocation |
30% equipment upgrades, 30% staff hiring, 20% interior, 20% reserve |
| Ingredient policy |
Use premium ingredients for dishes, sell low-grade catch directly |
| Upgrade priority |
Oxygen > Speed > Weapons > Carry Weight |
Reception#
| Source |
Score |
Summary |
| IGN |
9/10 |
An addictive hybrid of genres |
| PC Gamer |
90/100 |
A masterpiece of deep-sea adventure |
| GameSpot |
9/10 |
A perfect match of creativity and execution |
| Steam |
96% positive |
Very Positive |
| OpenCritic |
90/100 |
Universally recommended by critics |
Player Statistics#
| Stat |
Data |
| Global sales |
10 million+ copies |
| Steam reviews |
About 160,000+ |
| Average playtime |
42 hours |
| Most popular fish |
Tuna |
| Most popular dish |
Tuna sushi |
Update Log#
| Version |
Date |
Main Content |
| 1.0 Release |
2023-06-28 |
Full game launch |
| Godzilla DLC |
2023-11 |
Godzilla crossover content |
| Dredge DLC |
2023-12 |
Dredge crossover |
| Balance Update |
2024-03 |
Number tuning and new content |
| Anniversary Edition |
2024-06 |
New Game+ mode, new items |
- Stardew Valley — another indie hit built on resource management and a satisfying daily routine
- Dredge — a fishing adventure with a dark edge, and an official crossover partner via the Dredge DLC
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- Divinity: Original Sin 2 — the sequel to a classic CRPG series
- Hollow Knight — a metroidvania action game
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Full Guides#
In-depth sub-guides — game overview, beginner basics, diving mechanics, the complete fish encyclopedia, sushi recipes and profit analysis, restaurant management, boss strategies, and hidden secrets — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s Dave the Diver section.