Dave the Diver finally lands on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC today, and to celebrate, we’re thrilled to share the story of how it was made. 

Today, I want to share the simple idea that started it all, and the thoughts we had while creating this one-of-a-kind experience for you. 

The Spark: A Sushi Bar in Jeju Island 

Everything began with a very simple concept. I’d long wanted to create a game about exploring a mysterious underwater world and catching fish, but the initial prototype felt incomplete. It was missing a key anchor point. 

Then, by chance, while I was on Jeju Island (often called the “Hawaii of Korea”) I visited a small seaside restaurant. The owner would catch fish in the sea every morning and then use those fresh catches to run the restaurant in the evening. 

The moment I saw that, two ideas instantly merged in my head: 

“That’s it! Let’s make a game where you dive during the day and run a sushi shop at night. Fish to sushi… very intuitive, right?” 

This slightly quirky but intuitive pairing was the very moment Dave the Diver began.

Fusing Two Worlds: Dive Deep and Serve Fresh 

With the core structure (‘dive by day, serve by night’) established we decided to tell our characters’ diverse and cheerful stories through various game mechanics and mini-games. By day, you’ll be exploring the Blue Hole, sourcing and catching fish using a variety of abilities. The deeper you dive, the greater the rewards. By night, you’ll assist in running a sushi restaurant up on land, frantically preparing dishes, pouring tea and cleaning up plates. 

You’ll quickly find yourself involved in story-driven adventures ranging from mini-games reflecting the quirks of characters like Duff the eccentric otaku, to dramatic missions like Dave rescuing a dolphin captured by pirates. 

In earlier testing, we received feedback that our ambition to include so many elements right from the start made the game feel overwhelming. However, those test phases were crucial; they allowed us to strike the right balance ensuring the game felt rich and rewarding, not cluttered. 

Intuitiveness is the Secret Ingredient 

To successfully tie all these diverse elements together, we knew we had to minimize explicit explanations. Your immersion would break if we bombarded you with too many tutorials, so we created mechanics that felt naturally intuitive while you’re playing. 

For example: You instinctively understand that air decreases underwater, so you’ll need to upgrade your air tank in order to dive deeper into the Blue Hole. Similarly, you quickly figure out that dishes from a large shark, that are much harder to weaken and catch, are more valuable than small tropical fish that don’t put up a fight. We leveraged these inherent understandings to minimize the learning curve and let players simply engross themselves in the gameplay loop. The characters’ distinct looks and roles were also designed to be instantly memorable, reducing any confusion about who does what. 

When all these large and small gears clicked into a perfectly functioning, self-reinforcing loop, I knew we had created an experience that you would find truly captivating. 

Meet the Faces Behind the Fun 

Another core element of Dave the Diver is its unique sense of humor. We didn’t want to create a perfect, serious hero set on saving the world. Our protagonist, Dave, is a bit plump and slightly clumsy (just an ordinary man that you might encounter anywhere). 

From the stoic, bushido-driven master chef, Bancho, to the quirky weapons dealer, Cobra, and the eccentric otaku, Duff, these imperfect characters create a world of kitschy charm. This is the lighthearted fun we wanted to deliver, and we are thrilled that players have embraced it. 

We worked hard to maintain this humorous atmosphere, often using exaggerated and unpredictable cutscenes realized through pixel art. Get ready for you to chuckle at outlandish situations popping up in the most serious moments or sudden parody elements. We hope you enjoy the laughs we’ve hidden in every corner of the game. 

Your Next Catch Awaits 

My small idea met a fantastic team, resulting in Dave the Diver, and now we get to share it with Xbox community. We invite you to dive into the mysterious Blue Hole and discover your own special adventure! 

Dave the Diver is available today for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC! 

DAVE THE DIVER

MINTROCKET

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

・An adventure, RPG, management hybrid
Explore and unravel the mysteries in the depths of the Blue Hole by day and run a successful exotic sushi restaurant by night.
It’s easy to get hooked on the satisfying gameplay loop!

・Casual combat and gathering gameplay with rogue-like elements
Dive into the ever-changing Blue Hole and use a harpoon and other weapons to catch fish and various creatures.
Upgrade and forge equipment with collected resources and sushi restaurant profits to prepare for the dangers that lurk in the unknown.
Running out of oxygen means leaving collected items and fish behind!

・Eccentric characters with a lighthearted narrative
Quirky but lovable characters and a story full of in-jokes, spoofs, and other humorous scenes provide an approachable and enjoyable gameplay experience.

・A beautiful sea environment with attractive 2D/3D Art
A combination of pixel and 3D graphics provides a stunning art style that showcases breathtaking underwater scenery. This oceanic adventure is set in the real marine environment of a Blue Hole filled with over 200 kinds of sea creatures.

・Ample additional content to complement the main gameplay loop
Minigames, side quests, and multiple storylines provide many hours of entertainment and varied gameplay.