10 More Dives Into The Unknown
Dave the Diver is an excellent little indie, complete with cooking, deep sea diving and some very fun and addictive minigames.
If you’ve finished playing this one, you may be itching for more of the same. Well, we’ve gathered together our 10 top choices to whet your appetite. Of course, for all the games we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link, so you can check out our full thoughts on that and see if it’s something you want to invest your time in.
So without further ado, we present 10 games to check out if you’re looking for a game like Dave the Diver.
Subnautica
After crash-landing on an alien water planet, you’re tasked with exploring the underwater environment, managing resources, and finding a way back home. Along the way though, numerous different sea creatures lurk in the various different areas, each more menacing, sinister or wonderous than before.
Subnautica is an absolute gem in this field and shines with its vast and diverse underwater world filled with vibrant flora and fauna. The survival mechanics require careful resource management, while base-building elements and an overwhelming feel of danger and adventure makes for a suffocatingly good time.
Abzu
Abzu is a beautiful game (helped by Austin Wintory’s excellent soundtrack). You play the role of a nameless diver exploring the depths of the ocean. Along the way, you uncover ancient technologies and unravel the secrets of a lost civilization.
Abzu is a visually stunning game, and is regularly praised for its colorful, stylized environments and vibrant aquatic life. The gameplay is much more focused on exploration and puzzle-solving than survival or resource management. However, don’t let that dissuade you from this gem.
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight emulates Dave the Diver’s metroidvania-esque gameplay, seeing you exploring the underground world of Hallownest. Along the way, you uncover secrets and battle corrupted inhabitants.
The game features challenging combat, extensive exploration, and intricate platforming. The aesthetic is beautifully presented too, with a beautifully hand-drawn platform layout.
Moonlighter
Will, a shopkeeper with dreams of becoming a hero, ventures into otherworldly dungeons to gather items to sell in his shop, all whilst uncovering the secrets of these various dungeons.
Moonlighter’s premise is super simple and it blends dungeon-crawling action-RPG elements with shop management mechanics. The pixel art graphics are charming and detailed, while the dual life of our protagonist – an adventurer by night and shopkeeper by day – mirrors that of Dave’s journey from diver to working in a restaurant. The soundtrack provides a pleasant background to both the hectic dungeon diving and peaceful shopkeeping.
Luna’s Fishing Garden
In Luna’s Fishing Garden, you play as Cassie who wakes up on a strange island and must help a spirit fox named Luna rebuild the archipelago by catching fish and trading them for different types of plants and animals.
This serene game features fishing and gardening mechanics, a great pixel art aesthetic, and a relaxing, tranquil soundtrack. Its stress-free, non-violent gameplay and the perfect way to unwind.
Cult of the Lamb
Cult of the Lamb sees players control a possessed lamb saved from annihilation by a mysterious stranger. Your mission here is to build a cult, customizing a base, and venturing into procedurally generated combat.
Cult of the Lamb stands out for its darkly cute aesthetic and gameplay that blends base-building, resource management, and real-time combat. The concept of establishing and growing your own cult, and the moral implications that come with it, makes it a uniquely thoughtful proposition.
Stardew Valley
Seeking escape from corporate life, Stardew Valley throws you in the role of a player who moves to their grandfather’s dilapidated farm in Stardew Valley. Your job is to Restore the farm to its former glory, build relationships with townsfolk, and explore mysterious caves.
Stardew Valley is beloved for its blend of farming simulation with RPG elements, pixel art, relationship-building, and gameplay. The changing seasons, diverse activities, and an excellent soundtrack makes for another great experience.
Persona 5
On the surface, Persona 5 has nothing in common with Dave the Diver. But in fact, the two games share a lot of similarities. The story for this mammoth RPG sees a group of high-school students living dual lives as Phantom Thieves, using a mysterious app to enter the Metaverse. Whilst there, they reform corrupted hearts, and navigate challenges in their daily lives.
This RPG stands out with its stylish visuals, deep character development and dungeon-crawling, while also mixing that in with social simulation gameplay, and a jazzy, rock-infused soundtrack. The time management aspects are very similar, while exploring the mysterious Mementos during off-days between dungeon crawls, mirrors the exploration/fight mechanics in Dave the Diver.
Dredge
Dredge is a single-player fishing adventure that came out in early 2023 and became a real indie darling. The aim with this nautical adventure is to sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and explore the depths of the ocean for long-buried secrets. The story combines elements of horror and mystery together, but it’s largely the gameplay that stands out here.
Starting from your new home in the remote archipelago, ‘The Marrows’, the gameplay sees you scour the depths for curious collectables and over 125 deep sea denizens. The descriptions are great, the exploration – including the various different quests to complete – is another highlight.
Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya
Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya is a Steam game that’s a surprisingly enjoyable unknown gem. Within this, you take control of a restaurant where you play as Mystia, the owner. During the day you venture out to collect ingredients and complete missions. During the evening, you take control of the cooking. All the while, your task is to become the best izakaya owner in all of Gensokyo!
The pixel art is great and the gameplay consists of day and night phases. During the day you buy ingredients, forage for ingredients and complete quests for different villagers. The cycle of gameplay is similar to Dave the Diver, and the blend of cutesy humour and cooking makes for a very enjoyable watch.
So there we have it, our 10 video game picks to keep you busy after playing Dave the Diver.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!